Family Loyalties
by CTI-Jenn
Summary: A teenage girl arrives at the Hardy house looking for information about murder that took place two years earlier.  She has plenty of secrets though, one of which is a connection to someone the Hardys thought they knew extremely well.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: I've always like the idea of exploring a family for Con. I hope you like the start of this. I'd love to hear what you think. This story fits probably more in the case file universe.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Hardy universe doesn't belong to me. I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of the story and I promise to return them more or less intact.

Family Loyalties  
>Chapter 1<p>

She doubled checked the address that she'd scrawled on the napkin in the internet café. Elm Street in Bayport, New York wasn't much different where she'd grown up on Stanton Avenue in Cloverton, New York. Her heart ached a little at the memory it stirred of her former house, the only place she truly counted as being a home instead of a place to live. She'd been happy there, carefree and innocent, but that had been two years ago and she couldn't remember feeling happy, carefree or innocent since then. A wave of pain that had nothing to do with emotion rolled over her and she pressed her left arm against her sore ribs, hoping the pressure would help both the pain in her ribs and the arm she wasn't sure was broken or just badly sprained. She had seen the odd looks other patrons at the internet café had given her with her bruised cheek and black eye; it was a wonder someone there hadn't called the cops on her right then and there. That would have ruined all of her plans. If the Bayport police had gotten involved, there was no way she would have been able to keep him from finding out she was there and all her searching would have been in vain.

Biting back a groan, she took a faltering step toward the house. There were no cars in the driveway to tell her if someone was home. Each step up to the house only served to aggravate her pain and she was forced to breathe through her mouth to ride out the pain as she rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. She could hear footsteps coming closer to the door and then the door opened. A tall teenage boy, just a couple of years older than she was, stood on the other side, his dark eyes furrowing in concern when they took in her appearance. She recognized him from information she'd pulled up on the Internet. This was Frank Hardy, older son of Fenton and Laura Hardy. She forced a smile that belied the pain she was in. She'd had plenty of practice hiding her real emotions behind careful facades.

"I'm looking for Fenton Hardy."

"He's out of town right now. You're injured. How about you come inside? I can get you some ice for that eye." His tone was deliberately soft, like he was talking to a frightened animal or child. She bristled.

"No, I'm fine. I just really need to see Fenton Hardy. When will he be back?" Her eyes darted to the side, trying to gauge whether she could make a hasty retreat before he could catch her. Logically she knew the answer was a resounding no. Even if she hadn't been injured, she wouldn't stand a chance of beating him in a foot race.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He tried to assure her. It was as if he could tell she was thinking of bolting and didn't want that to happen. She realized he had seen through her attempt to appear much calmer than she actually was as he continued in an overly calm voice. "My name is Frank; Fenton Hardy is my father. Perhaps if you tell me what you need him for, I can help you. What's your name?"

She wasn't ready to reveal that information yet. Couldn't take the chance that he'd slip away and call the police and give them her name. But maybe if she played along a little he could help her get in touch with Fenton. "Jessica Spears." The lie rolled easily off her tongue, providing the first name she could think of. He led her inside and to the couch. He disappeared, promising to get her some ice for her eye.

The couch was soft and comfortable and almost begged her to lie down and give in to the exhaustion she had been trying to hold off. How long had it been since she'd actually gotten a good night's sleep? Certainly not since the night she'd sneaked out of the house that had supposedly been her home for the last two years. That had been four days ago. But she couldn't afford to sleep now, not til she had the information she needed.

The dark haired teenage boy returned and sat beside her on the couch, gingerly pressing the cloth covered ice pack to her face. She winced as the coldness stung the wound and he apologized softly. "Sorry, I know it's cold but it'll help reduce the swelling. Any other injuries we should be concerned about?"

The memory of the sudden attack two days before was ever present and clear in her mind. Her assailant had caught her by surprise as she walked down the dimly lit street to the no-tell motel she'd found that had actually turned a blind eye to the fact that a sixteen year old was renting a room without a guardian. He'd grabbed her left arm that was tightly gripping a can of pepper spray, twisting the appendage savagely making sure she dropped her main means of protection. Disarmed, she'd felt herself being slammed against a brick wall where he then held both arms above her head in one of his own. She'd been powerless to prevent the many blows to her abdomen and face. She'd faked unconsciousness in an attempt to lessen the attack. He let her fall to the ground delivering a verbal warning to accompany the physical one. Only x-rays would be able to tell if anything was broken but she was positive she'd never convince a hospital to treat her without adult consent.

"No, I'm fine. Did you mean what you said about helping me if you could?"

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Eighteen year old Frank Hardy carefully studied the teenage girl sitting beside him. She wasn't from Bayport; he would have recognized her otherwise. Her short brown hair was limp as if it had been a day or so since it had been washed and her clothes looked like they had been worn and slept in for about the same time. Despite her protests to the contrary, he could tell by the way she was favoring her ribs that she was injured beyond the beating her face had taken. Her green eyes couldn't hide the pain that appeared to be both physical and emotional. She was skittish, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. In fact the only reason he thought she hadn't bolted already was some sort of desperate need to find his father.

He wished his mother had been home. She would be able to comfort the scared girl beside him. But Laura had taken Aunt Gertrude to a doctor's appointment and wouldn't be back for a couple more hours. His brother Joe could have laid on his trademark charm and gotten her to open up but he had taken the van for a date with his girlfriend Vanessa. That left Frank alone to handle the situation. He was a confident person but knew that in this situation, others would be much more effective. He had contemplated calling Con Riley, their friend in the police department but he'd refrained, hoping to get the girl, whose name he was quite certain wasn't Jessica Spears, to trust him.

"I promised I would. You want to start with why you are looking for my father or do you want to start with who gave you that shiner?"

"Your father helped with a murder investigation a couple of years ago. He stopped working the case when the prime suspect in the case confessed. I need to know what information he found before he stopped looking." Her eyes, or at least the eye that wasn't hidden behind the ice pack begged him to help her. "If you have access to his files…"

Frank frowned. "I can't go through his files without his permission. I'm sorry." He caught just a flash of disappointment before she carefully pasted a smile on her face and handed him back the ice pack.

"I understand. I shouldn't have asked. Thank you for your time." She stood and he could tell it took great restraint for her not to groan with pain at the movement. She was definitely hurt more than she wanted him to know. He couldn't let her leave.

"Dad always calls and checks in when he's out of town. If you tell me a little more about the murder investigation, I can ask him about it when he calls. If he says it's okay for me to go through his files then I can get the information you are looking for." And in the meantime, Frank could do his own investigating to find out who she really was.

He could see she was struggling with indecision. She was probably torn between a need to protect her identity and her need to find the information she was seeking. When her stomach made a gurgling noise, he hoped he had a way to further convince her. "Just before you rang the bell, I was about to fix a sandwich for lunch. Would you like one?"

She nodded reluctantly, unable to deny the hunger her stomach was revealing, sitting back down on the couch. Frank smiled and promised to be back in just a moment. He made quick work putting two roast beef sandwiches together and then returned to the living room with two plates in his hands. "Here we go."

She accepted the plate awkwardly with her right hand and set the plate in her lap. Frank was glad he had thought to cut the sandwich into quarters as his suspicion that she was hiding an injury to her left arm grew. The longer he could keep her at the house, the more likely it was that he could find out who she really was and who had hurt her. He pulled out his cell phone before eating his own sandwich. "I'm going to send Dad a text message to call me as soon as he gets the opportunity. I can't guarantee he'll call right away; if he's undercover, he won't check his phone until it's safe to do so but if he's free he might call while you are here and I can let you talk to him directly." He sent the message and then started to eat. In no time, her own sandwich was completely gone. He offered her a smile. "Would you like another one?"

She shook her head, looking a little drowsy. Frank wondered when she'd last gotten a good night's sleep. He didn't say anything, hoping that she'd fall asleep on her own if he didn't call attention to it. Sure enough, by the time he had finished his own sandwich, her eyes were almost completely closed. He set his plate on the coffee table and took hers as well. Then he shifted her body so that she was lying on the couch, being careful not jar the injuries he suspected she had. The fact that she didn't protest or awaken told him just how tired she really was. He covered her with a light throw they kept on the back of the couch.

Though Fenton often talked about his cases, Frank couldn't remember him talking about any particular murder investigation two years ago. She hadn't given him any information he could use to narrow down the possibilities. At this point there wasn't much he could to but wait for his father to call and hope he could keep the girl from bolting in the meantime.

He heard the garage door open and realized his mother was home. Making sure his visitor was still sound asleep, he went into the kitchen to meet his mom and aunt as they entered the kitchen. However, Laura entered through the garage entrance alone. Laura smiled at her older son. "Gertrude decided to visit some friends while she was out." She paused as she recognized his worried expression. "Frank, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Dad had a visitor while you were out. A girl looking for information about a murder investigation he worked a couple of years ago. Ring any bells with you?"

Laura frowned. "Your dad has worked many murder cases. Did you tell her that Fenton's out of town?"

"Yeah, but Mom, I'm worried about her. I think she might be a runaway or something like that. She wouldn't tell me her real name and she's real skittish. Someone beat her up pretty good, more than she'd would even admit to."

Laura sat at the kitchen counter and eyed him carefully. He knew that she trusted his judgment; if he was worried, that would be good enough for her. "Sounds like she needs help. Did you get an idea of where she was going when she left here?"

Frank smiled. "She's asleep on the couch. I was afraid if I let her leave, we wouldn't be able to find her again. I wasn't sure how I was going to convince her to stay but fortunately her exhaustion kicked in after she ate a sandwich. I was kind of hoping you could maybe do a little mothering when she wakes up; get her to open up to you. After all, you are the best mother in the whole world."

Laura laughed. "You don't have to flatter me to get me to help, Frank. I'll do what I can. What are you going to do in the meantime?"

Frank shrugged. "If you don't mind me borrowing your car, I'll head down to the police station. If she is a runaway, maybe Con has a report on her. Someone has to be worried about her."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Pain, her constant companion since the attack in the alley, greeted her when she woke up. She blinked heavily trying to remember where she was and how she got there. Waking up hadn't been easy since she'd left Coverton which was probably one of the reasons she avoided sleeping as much as she could. She groaned, unable to stop the expression of pain even before she fully awoke.

"It's okay, Sweetheart. You're safe."

The female voice was so warm and comforting that she was immediately taken back two years when everything was still wonderful. Tears filled her eyes. "Mom?"

She opened her eyes all the way and focused on the attractive woman sitting in a chair beside the couch watching her sleep. It wasn't her mother; she'd known that was an impossible wish as soon as the words left her mouth. A pipe dream that would make all the other nightmares go away. She sat up, careful to hold in any more gasps of pain. She made sure her carefully constructed mask of toughness was in place. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled at her. "I'm Laura Hardy, Frank's mother. My son tells me that you are looking for information from my husband. Maybe I can help. Fenton usually tells me about the cases he works. I might remember the case you are talking about."

The teenage girl regarded the older woman carefully. Laura Hardy sounded sincere but she was an adult and lately it seemed like all adults were just out to keep her in the dark about everything that had happened. They claimed to have her best interests at heart but in the end they didn't care what she really needed or wanted. They just wanted her to accept the party line without question, no matter how wrong the party line might be. She gave a one arm shrug. "I'd rather wait until I could talk to Mr. Hardy myself, if you don't mind."

Laura nodded. "You have me at a disadvantage; You know my name but I don't know yours."

What name had she given Frank earlier? She remembered it had something to do with female pop singers. "Brittney Simpson." Crap, that wasn't right. She remembered as soon as she said it that it was the opposite combination of names. Oh well, she didn't believe they had bought her lie anyway. "Where is Frank?" Then she lowered her head. "He went to the police station, didn't he?"

Laura reached out and gave the younger girl's knee a reassuring pat. "He's pretty worried about you. From the way you are holding your stomach, I'd say he had a good reason. You're ribs are hurt, aren't they? Maybe even your arm? I'm not a nurse but I do volunteer work with the Red Cross and I have a husband and sons who are forever getting injured so I do have some medical training. Would you let me take a look at your injuries, make sure you are okay?"

If Frank had gone to the police it was only a matter of time before they arrived. She had to be gone before that happened. She stood. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on your couch. I'll stop by tomorrow to see if Frank heard back from your husband."

She made her way to the door, knowing that Laura was right behind her encouraging her to stay. She opened the door and stepped out of the house. A car was just pulling into the driveway with a police cruiser right behind it. She recognized the officer in the driver's seat and knew it was over if he saw her. There was no time to run, they would catch her for sure. She closed the door and looked back at Laura. "Can I use your restroom before I leave?"

Laura looked surprised but gave the young girl directions. Fortunately, the older woman didn't follow her down the hallway. She found a room with windows that opened to the side of the house and ducked inside. She could hear the front door open as she opened the window. Climbing out hurt but not as much as it would hurt to be caught. She lowered herself to the ground and made her way to the corner. She peeked around and saw that the front door was closed. Now was her chance as she took off away from the house. She wouldn't have long before they realized she wasn't in the bathroom and came looking for her. She'd have to get as far away as she could before that happened.

She hadn't gotten even as far as the next street when strong arms grabbed her from behind. Memories of being attacked ran through her mind and she screamed, struggling to get away from her assailant despite the pain it caused her. He was too strong for her and refused to let go.

"Relax. I just want to ask you a few questions." The unfamiliar young voice told her. He whirled her around, still holding on to her arms. She recognized the blonde hair and blue eyes immediately. This was Joe Hardy, Fenton's other son and Frank's younger brother. He didn't look happy as he began to question her. "Why were you sneaking around my house back there? Who are you?"

"I wasn't sneaking around. Let go of me before I call the cops." She tried to bluff her way out. But Joe Hardy shook his head.

"Cops huh? Okay, I saw a patrol car at my house. Let's go back there and talk to them then. Come on." He started to drag her back towards the house but the pain in her injured arm became too unbearable. The sandwich she'd eaten earlier came back up as she threw up on the ground next to him. Joe released his hold on her in surprise but she was unable to capitalize on the release. The act of regurgitating aggravated her injured ribs and she sank to her knees and curled up on the ground holding her stomach. She didn't care that Joe was looking at her in shock or that footsteps were running up to meet them.

Uncharacteristic tears ran down her face as she had to accept the fact that she'd been caught, that her dream of finding out the truth was down the drain. Someone knelt beside her tilting her head up. The shock in those familiar green eyes that were so like her own surprised her as she realized he hadn't expected to see her. Hadn't he been called when she disappeared? A large thumb reached up and tenderly wiped away a tear.

"Riley, what are you doing here? Tell me who hurt you and I'll make sure he pays, Darling. I promise you that." At that point she was more than willing to let him wrap her in a comforting hug.

"Con, you know her?" Frank found his voice first, his surprise just as evident.

She felt the bigger man shift so that he could look up at the two teenage detectives, his expession both confused and concerned. "Yeah, I know her. Boys, this is my niece, Riley Davis."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: A little more of the history comes out. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Family Loyalties  
>Chapter 2<p>

Joe Hardy stepped to the open curtain of the cubicle and peered in at the teenage girl lying on the bed. He and Frank had been equally surprised by Con's announcement that she was his niece. They had a lot of questions but so far neither uncle nor niece had seemed willing to answer any of them. Con had insisted on bringing her to the emergency room to be checked out and despite her initial protests about needing a doctor, she hadn't spoken to anyone else. The doctor who treated her had said that she hadn't been very forthcoming with answers to his questions as to what happened.

"Mind if I come in?"

She gave a half shrug but didn't protest. Her left arm was now in a sling. Joe sat down in a chair near the bed. Since it seemed like she was going to give him the silent treatment as well he continued.

"I wanted to apologize for grabbing you like I did. I didn't know you were hurt. I just tend to be a little suspicious when I see people sneaking around the house. I didn't mean to hurt you though."

"It's okay." She admitted softly. Joe smiled. It was only two words but it was two words more than Con had gotten out of her since their arrival at the hospital.

"The doctor said you were pretty lucky. Nothing broken. Course, I've had bruised ribs before and they aren't all that less painful than broken ones. Your uncle is pretty worried about you. I don't see him mad quite often but I think he's ready to spit some nails."

Riley rolled her eyes. "He's probably upset that I interrupted his day. He doesn't care about me."

The younger Hardy shook his head, glad that she was talking and hoping to get her to open up even more. "No, I'm pretty sure his anger is directed at whoever hurt you. The way he's been pacing out there in the waiting room doesn't strike me as someone who doesn't care. I never knew Con had a sister, let alone a niece."

"I guess he's told you the whole sordid story by now." Her tone was bitter and more than a little hurt. Joe had a feeling that it wouldn't take much more prodding to get her to fully open up.

"Actually he's been pretty tight lipped about everything. Of course, I'm not really surprised. He knows my brother and I can't resist a good mystery, or a pretty girl in distress."

"Tight lipped. Good description. Adults always think they know what's best and even when they don't have a clue they keep on acting like they do. Why do they think that if they just don't answer your questions that you'll just give up and be the obedient little kid they want you to be? Mom was the only one who never did that to me. Sometimes she teased me that I really knew how to ask the impossible questions but she always answered me honestly."

Joe didn't miss her use of the past tense when talking about her mom. Frank had told him that Riley had been searching for information about a murder investigation. He thought about the hurt look that crossed Con's face earlier when Laura had asked if he wanted her to call Riley's parents to tell them where she was. He had declined her offer without explanation and now Joe was almost certain he knew why.

"But she can't answer the big question you have right now. You want to know who killed her, don't you?"

Riley turned her gaze on him, her eyes surprisingly clear. She nodded. "She was killed in our own house one night while I was sleeping upstairs. I never heard anything. How can something like that happen? How can the most important person in your life be viciously murdered right underneath you and you don't know a thing about it until you come downstairs the next morning?"

Joe didn't know what to say. He couldn't imagine how he would feel if he lost either one of his parents. With the danger involved in Fenton's line of work, they all knew it was a possibility that something could happen to him while on a case but nobody spent too much time thinking about it. He knew he had to give her some answer and remembered what she had said about wanting honest answers. "I can't imagine anything more terrible."

"I can." Riley continued. "Since there was no sign of forced entry in the house, the police were convinced that someone inside the house committed the murder. My dad became their prime suspect. I don't think they even looked for anybody else. They made his life miserable until he confessed to killing her."

Joe had hoped he'd be able to get her to open up but he had never expected the story to be so rough. No wonder she didn't seem to trust anybody. Her mother had been killed by her father. But he had a feeling there was more to it than that. "You don't think he's guilty."

A small smile crossed her face when she didn't hear any censure in his statement. He was simply looking for the facts and wasn't going to color them with his opinions until he knew the full story. "No, I don't. Mom and I were my dad's entire world. He wouldn't hurt either of us, not willingly. Nobody believes he could be innocent except for me and no one wants to listen to a kid. I have to prove that someone else was responsible for killing my mother. It's the only way my dad can be free."

Joe could tell that she was very serious in her intent. He wondered if her injuries had resulted from her search for what she hoped was the truth. He leaned forward. He knew he should talk to Frank before he made the offer he was about to make but was reasonably sure that his older brother would agree with him once he knew the story. "Maybe Frank and I can help you. We've investigated quite a few cases before."

For just a moment, hope flashed in her green eyes but then it fades a little. "That would be great but I'm probably about to be on house arrest. I'm sure my uncle has already called my grandparents, they are my guardians now; and once they sweep in, I'll be lucky to see the light of day for the next two years."

Joe flashed her a reassuring smile. "We'll figure something out."

"Joe, can you give us a moment?" Con stood at the doorway looking a little uncomfortably. Joe nodded and stood. He gave Riley's good hand a squeeze before leaving out. The burly officer came in and took the seat that the young detective had just vacated. "Riles, we gotta talk. And I don't mean me talking and you doing your best to ignore me. When Frank showed up at the station telling me that he had a possible runaway at his house looking for his father, it never once crossed my mind that it could be you. I guess it should have given your history but it didn't. When did you leave home?"

Riley gave a snort. "Home? 21 months, two weeks, three days ago. The day the Coverton Police detective in charge of Mom's murder investigation coerced a false confession from Dad and they locked him up."

Con took a steadying breath and remembered to count to ten before responding. His sister Gina used to laugh and tell him that she thought Riley was going to grow up to be just like him. At the time he'd been flattered that his only niece was like him but in the last couple of years, the few times he'd been able to spend time around the teenager made him wonder if Gina had meant it as a compliment. "Okay, then, when did you leave your grandparents' house?"

"Four days ago." She reluctantly admitted. "I'm sure they told you that when you called to rat me out. I'm guessing I'll be out of your hair in an hour or two."

"I haven't called them yet. I'd rather know more about what happened to you before they come swooping in. I want to help you Riles, but I can't do that if you won't let me."

Riley laughed out loud at that. "You want to help me? Since when, Uncle Con? It certainly wasn't your story the last time I came to you for help. You couldn't wait to get rid of me. Well, I'll save you the effort this time. Hand me my clothes and I'll get out of here and you don't have to worry about me any more."

Con practically growled in frustration. How in the world did people parent teenagers? "Not worry about you? You think a day has gone by since Gina told me that I was going to be an uncle that I haven't worried about you? I get that you think I betrayed you last time but I didn't have much choice. Your grandparents had filed a police report that you had run away from home. I'm a cop and I could have lost my job if I didn't report that I had found you. Things aren't always so black and white, Riles. You more than anyone should know that."

Riley blinked at him a couple of times as she realized exactly what he wasn't saying. The enormity of it hit her harder than any of the blows she had sustained. "Gram and Gramps didn't report me as a runaway this time?"

Con sighed. "Not as far as I can tell. While the doctor was examining you, I called the station and had the desk sergeant pull your name up on the computer. There are no active alerts on your name. I don't know why they haven't reported it this time. Maybe they were worried about the trouble it could cause both for you and them if DHS finds out that you ran away again. So here's what I'm thinking. You tell me that they knew you were coming to visit and gave their permission for you to do so. Tell me that and I'll believe that until I have official reason to believe otherwise. I'll do what I can to help you get the answers you are looking for. What do you say?"

For just a moment, she looked out the window contemplating her options. Staying with Con could have it's emotional downfalls. Despite her anger toward him, she really did love him and knew he loved her as well. She knew she could get used to staying with him and that would make it all the more difficult when she was finally forced to return to her grandparents. On the other hand, trying to find different places that a teenager could stay at night was difficult and dangerous; she was still exhausted from the past few days of trying. She frowned looking back at him. "Okay, I'll give it a try. No promises though."

Con smiled. She was sounding more like her old self, the kid he'd known before tragedy had shaken her whole world. He could have just as easily been asking her to try some sort of food creation she had her doubts about than whether to trust that he wasn't going to betray her again. He handed her a bag that held the clothes she'd been wearing when he brought her in. "I'll step back down to the waiting room while you get dressed. Mrs. Hardy is down there with her sons. You want me to send her down to help you?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've been dressing myself for quite a few years now. I think I can handle it. I promise I won't try to sneak out while you are out of the room; at least not unless you give me a good reason to."

Con leaned down and ruffled her hair the way he used to when she was still a small child who worshiped the ground he walked on. He missed those days. Not just the worshiping part but those carefree days when his sister was still alive and happy. He left the cubicle and headed back to the waiting room. As soon as he sank into one of those hard plastic seats, Laura wrapped an arm around him pulling him close. He rested his head on her shoulder, taking a moment to find comfort in her embrace. Sensing the two adults might not want an audience, the two brothers discreetly moved to the other side of the waiting room.

"She hates me, Laura. She thinks I turned my back on her when she needed me the most. Heck, maybe I did. I certainly didn't fight for her the way I should have. Maybe if I had, she would be a lot happier now."

Laura smiled. "She doesn't hate you, Con. Not really. I don't think there's a teenager alive that hasn't thought they hated the adults in their lives at least for a moment and I include my own sons in that as well."

"She's dealt with so much in the last two years and she's done it alone. I know my parents haven't made it easy on her. They never approved of Mickey in the first place, couldn't understand what Gina saw in him. I'm sure they've done their best to convince Riley that her father was some sort of monster. The only person I think that ever believed in and loved Mickey more than Gina is Riley."

"If I remember what Fenton told me about the case two years ago, you believed in him as well. You didn't believe Mickey Davis killed your sister either. Fenton said that the confession shocked and hurt you terribly."

"The husband is automatically the prime suspect in cases like that. I'm a cop and I know that but I couldn't believe Mickey would ever be capable of something so violent. Even after he confessed I still had my doubts. Maybe I should have listened to those doubts a little more."

"Does Riley know about those doubts you had?"

Con shook his head. "She was just a kid; My parents and I haven't agreed on much since the murder but protecting Riley from being hurt was the one thing we did agree on. She's still a kid; she should be worried about school and boyfriends and all those other typical teenage stuff, not whether or not her father brutally killed her mother."

Laura glanced back to where her sons were sitting on the other side of the room. Their heads were bent together and they were obviously in deep conversation and if Laura knew anything about her sons, she was sure they were discussing the case that had fallen in their laps, how to help Riley Davis. "Take it from a mother who sometimes wishes her own sons were more worried about those typical teenage worries than the next mystery they wanted to solve. What you think they should do and what a teenager does are sometimes completely different things. Maybe it's time you talked to her about those doubts you had. It might not change the outcome of what happened but it just might make her feel a little less alone in the world. That may be more important in the long run than whether or not her father has been falsely incarcerated."

Con nodded and straightened up. "I guess it couldn't hurt. It may be too little too late though. You know, not much about my job scares me. I can face down armed robbers without blinking an eye. I've been spit at, cursed at, even shot at and not have it faze me at all. But dealing with Riley - I gotta admit, it scares the snot outta me."

Laura laughed. "Fenton once told me the same thing about the boys once. Don't worry, Con, you aren't in this alone. The boys, Fenton when he gets home, and I are all here for you." She paused and let that sink in for a moment. Then movement down the hallway caught her eye. "Brace yourself. Here she comes."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews and for those who have listed the story in their favorites. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Family Loyalties  
>Chapter 3<p>

Con looked at his niece as she awkwardly tried to fasten her seat best using only her right arm. He wanted to reach over and do it for her but knew from experience that she was enough like her mother to not appreciate help unless it was specifically requested beforehand. After what seemed to be a painfully long time in his mind, the seatbelt satisfactorily clicked into place and Riley leaned back against the seat.

Talking to her used to be easy. Even at a young age she'd been an intelligent, inquisitive person. Every year he looked forward to his vacation time and holidays so that he could visit and spend time with his sister and her small family. He never got tired of answering Riley's many questions or listening to whatever new thing had captured her fascination. After the murder that time had abruptly ended and now with his niece sitting next to him in the squad car, he didn't know what to say to her.

"Riles…" he began and then stopped. He wanted to ask how she'd been injured. The cop and protective uncle in him bristled at the idea that anyone had laid a hand on her and he felt an almost primal need to chase the person down and hurt him just as much as she'd been hurt. But he couldn't ask. He was afraid of saying the wrong thing and making her bolt. "Never mind."

Riley, on the other hand, took his inability to hold a conversation with her another way. The easy camaraderie they shared for as long as she could remember had ended with her mother's murder and father's imprisonment. It was obvious to her that she made him uncomfortable, that he hated being forced into this situation. He was more like a stranger to her than a beloved uncle and it made her just as sad as losing her mother and father. "In the morning, I'll get out of your hair."

Con hated the defeated sound in her voice. It seemed to always be there whenever he had talked to her since the murder. Not that he'd had many opportunities. He wanted to argue with her, to absolutely forbid her from going anywhere. His own father had tried that tactic too many times with Gina and it had always produced the opposite effect in his sister. If he was to convince Riley to stay, he'd have to make it be her decision.

"Where would you go? Back to Coverton and my parents? Back out on the streets where someone else could use you like a punching bag? I don't think you like either of those two options, Riles. Why not stay with me until we figure this all out?"

It wasn't exactly the same as him asking her to stay with him because he really wanted her to, Riley thought. But why would she expect otherwise? He'd already been clear that he didn't need her messing up his life. "Until we figure things out or until Gram and Gramps decide to report me as a runaway and you go into super cop mode and turn me in?"

Con sighed; he knew he was treading into dangerous territory. "They agreed to let you come, remember? That's the story we are sticking with. Once I get you settled at my apartment, I'll go back to the station and talk to the chief. I have a couple of weeks of vacation time owed to me. At least if I'm not on duty, I won't see any report that may or may not come in about potential runaways. I won't have an official duty to react. I know things have been rough on you, and I don't claim to know how to make it right. But I do know I can't stand this rift between us; I don't think Gina would like it either."

Riley didn't respond to what he said although the comment about her mother cut her deeply. He was right; though her mother's relationship with her parents hadn't always been the easiest, her mother wanted everyone in the family to get along. Instead, she stared out the window at the passing scenery. Finally she spoke without looking at him. "Joe Hardy offered to help me investigate mom's death."

Con nodded. He wasn't surprised. Frank and Joe couldn't turn down an opportunity to be involved with a mystery any more than an alcoholic on a binge could turn down one last drink. "I might not always like it, but there's no denying they're good at what they do."

Sneaking a look over at him, she chewed on her bottom lip. "You don't have a problem with it?"

Stopping at a red light, Con frowned. "I've tried discouraging the boys from getting involved in cases before without any luck. It just makes them more determined. They'll help you whether I have a problem or not. At least if I'm on board with it; I'll know what's going on. I trust that they won't hurt you."

The two didn't speak the rest of the ride to Con's apartment. He pulled into his space and they got out of the squad car. He kept a light hand on her back as he lead her up the stairs to his third floor apartment. He knew the stairs had to be playing hell with her bruised ribs and not for the first time, he wished his complex had an elevator. Still, she didn't complain and soon he was unlocking his door and leading her inside.

She looked around in interest. She'd only seen his apartment a couple of times and had always though it suited him. It wasn't messy but it obviously lack a woman's more delicate attention to detail and aesthetics. A picture sitting above the entertainment center caught her eye and she went to it, picking it up to study it carefully. She remembered when her uncle had taken it the summer before the world as she had known it had come to an end. She and her parents were smiling at the camera from the swing on their back porch. A lump formed in her throat as she thought about how happy they had been back then.

She marveled at the fact that her uncle kept the framed photograph in such a prominent place in his apartment. It wasn't like he had known she was coming to place it there to make it look like he cared. This was its permanent location; a reminder of happier times. She set it back in place and glanced back at Con, his expression unreadable.

"Gram and Gramps have that same picture only they cut Dad out of it. I think they think if they just remove all trace of his existence it'll mean he was never really there. Doesn't work. They can cut up every picture they ever had but they can't cut him out of my memory or my heart."

Con crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her, turning her into his embrace. Sometimes he wondered if his parents really knew just how much they were hurting their only grandchild. She didn't protest the hug but she didn't relax in it either. He looked over the top of her head at the picture she'd been looking at, specifically at the image of his sister. She seemed to be looking right at him, the twinkling in her eye almost issuing a challenge to him to fix this.

"Nobody should even try, Darling. We'll make it okay, Riles. I don't know how but we will."

Riley nodded, pulling away from him to look back at the picture. "Look at us, Uncle Con. We were so happy there; how does a family go from being that happy to that broken without any warning?"

How many times in the last couple of years had he stared at the picture and wondered the exact same thing? Mickey had confessed to killing his sister but one thing he'd never talked about was why he had snapped. Quietly, he'd tried to seek answers to those questions that kept him up at night. But he'd never had any success. He knew that Riley had never believed that her father had been the murderer but as far as he knew this was the first time she'd actively sought out answers. Why now?

"Riles, I know you want answers but what if the truth isn't what you want to hear?"

She shrugged. "My heart tells me Dad didn't do it. Nothing so far has given me any reason to think it's wrong. The truth is either going to prove my heart right or wrong but at least I'll know for sure. I'm tired of fighting everyone." Her voice got small at the final admission.

Con nodded. He hated the pain he could hear in her voice but he understood where she was coming from. He hoped she was right about Mickey's innocence but if not he hoped he could repair his own relationship with the teenager so he could pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. "All right then. I'm going to go to the station, put in for my vacation and pick up my car. The doctor gave me a prescription for pain pills for you that I'll get filled while I'm out. You need anything else?"

"NO!" He could see her body tense up at his suggestion but wasn't sure what exactly had upset her. She'd already known that he planned to put in for vacation. But the no seemed a bit more forceful than what she'd use just to say she didn't need anything.

"What is it, Riles?"

"Don't get the prescription filled. I don't need it." She once more had that deer in headlights look and he was worried that despite his best intentions she was going to bolt any minute.

"Riley, I've had bruised ribs before I know just how much they hurt by themselves, but add to that the sprain in your wrist and pulled muscles in that arm and I know what kind of pain you're going to feel. You might not realize it now if he gave you some sort of painkiller in the ER…"

"I wouldn't let him give me anything. I can handle the pain."

Con narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure why she was fighting taking the medication but he recognized the fear in her eyes and knew protesting wouldn't change her mind. He was still going to get the prescription filled because he knew she needed it but he would just stay quiet about it for now. "Okay, okay. If you're sure…"

"I'm sure." Now that it seemed like he was going to give in to her, she started to relax. "You go take care of getting off work. If you have actual food in that fridge, maybe I can even get some dinner started for us."

"Don't worry about cooking anything. I'll pick something up on the way back. You still a fan of burgers and fries?"

The smile she flashed him reminded him of the ones she used to give him when trying to talk him in to letting her do something her parents wouldn't approve of. "The biggest. Maybe even more so now cause you know Gram believes fast food is the devil's handiwork. Maybe a couple of chocolate shakes to go with it?"

Con laughed and kissed the top of her head. "I'll see what I can do. Make yourself at home around here. I'll probably be an hour or so."

He left the apartment and Riley gave him a couple of moments to get down the stairs. Then she went to the window and looked out the curtain, watching until he climbed into his squad car and pulled out of his space. She waited an additional five minutes until she was sure he was fully down the road before going to the door. Fortunately Con kept a spare set of keys on a rack right next to the door. She picked them up and pocketed them before leaving the apartment herself.

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

"You really think you'll find something there? Wouldn't it be easier to just look through Dad's file on the case? I mean it's Con Riley; you really think Dad would mind?" Joe Hardy asked his brother impatiently as Frank stared at the computer screen. They hadn't been home long but almost as soon as they walked through the door, Frank had headed for his computer to see what he could pull up on the murder of Con's sister.

"Probably not. I know you are more of a fan of getting forgiveness rather than permission but I still think it's better to ask first. Besides, I'm curious as to what the papers said about the case anyway. Perhaps get a more objective point of view."

"I don't know if the papers are going to give us too much of an objective point of view. From what Riley told me in the hospital, her father was the only suspect anybody looked in to."

Frank scanned the list of websites his query into the name Gina Davis came up with before selecting one that looked promising. "No offense to Con's niece but considering we're talking about her parents, I think that kind of eliminates her of being the most objective point of view as well. Hang on, this article was done the day after the murder." He scanned the article. "Says she died of multiple stab wounds during the night but her body wasn't discovered until the next morning."

Joe shook his head; he remembered Riley saying something about coming downstairs. "Please tell me Riley wasn't the one to discover the body. Nobody should have to see that, let alone a little girl."

With a shrug, Frank continued to read the article. "It doesn't say which family member discovered the body. The article quotes a Coverton police detective who says there was no sign of a struggle or a break-in. He says the police have a suspect but couldn't elaborate until all the evidence was examined. I guess they really did suspect her father from the very beginning. Let me see if I can find a later article."

Joe contemplated what Frank had read. "If someone is coming at you with a knife - I know I'm assuming it was a knife since she was stabbed, it could have been some other weapon - you are going to struggle even if you do know your attacker, or at the very least, you are going to scream. How come Riley and her father didn't hear anything?"

Frank shook his head as he read the next article. "I don't know, maybe Riley can tell us more about that night. And you assumed correctly, it was a knife. Apparently a butcher knife from their own kitchen to be exact. This article was written after the police revealed that Mickey Davis was their prime suspect. It even quotes Con's father."

Joe leaned over Frank's shoulder and read out loud. "'That monster killed my baby girl. He's got a history of mental illness and it was just a matter of time before he snapped. What's it going to take for the police to take him off the streets - the death of our granddaughter?' Doesn't sound like he was a fan of his son-in-law. You think that's just reporters taking advantage of a father's grief or there's really something about the mental illness?"

"The article doesn't go into it so I don't know. I don't think that's a question we should ask Riley. Somehow I don't think she'd appreciate us questioning her father's sanity. Maybe Con can tell us more about that." Frank offered.

"Think we should head over to Con's apartment and talk to them now?" Joe didn't like sitting around doing nothing when there was a mystery to be solved. Before Frank could answer, his cell phone rang. Looking down, he saw on the caller ID that it was his father.

"Here's dad." Frank hit the button on his cell phone to accept the call. "Dad, I'm glad you called."

"_Your text message said it was important. Everything okay, Son?" _

"Nothing's wrong, Dad. We had a visit today from Con Riley's niece. She's trying to find out information about who really killed her mother."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a long minute. Frank wasn't sure if he'd lost the connection or not until finally his father spoke. _"Con know she's there?"_

"He didn't when she first came by but he does now. Joe and I were hoping we could pull your file on the investigation so we could look over it; see what you discovered while you were investigating."

"_Absolutely not. The two of you are not to go anywhere near my files. I'm just about ready to wrap up my case here and then I'll be home. Should be there by the day after tomorrow at the latest."_

"But Dad…." Frank tried to argue with his father but in his heart he knew it was useless. Fenton Hardy didn't go back on a decision after he made it.

"_No buts, Frank. Please trust me on this. I will be home as soon as I can and I will explain more then. But until then, you and your brother are not to investigate that case at all. Do you understand me?"_

Frank sighed. "Okay, Dad. Joe and I will wait until you get home." He hung up the phone and then looked at his brother. "Dad will be home in a day or so. Not only does he not want us going through his files, he doesn't want us even looking into this case until he gets here."

Joe looked upset. "He doesn't really expect us to do nothing does he? What is he thinking?"

Frank shrugged. "I don't know, Joe. But he seemed pretty adamant about us staying out of it. I gave him my word."

"Well I didn't. Riley deserves answers. I'm going to help her find them. If Dad doesn't want us in his files, fine I won't go near them but I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing while waiting for him to come home." He stormed out of his brother's room and down the stairs. Frank took off after him, catching up with him just before Joe was about to head out the front door.

"Joe, it's only two days at the most. She's waited two years for answers, what's two more days?"

Joe frowned. "She's not going to wait two more days, Frank. She wants answers now; if we don't help her she's going to go after them herself. She doesn't know what she's doing like we do. Can you forgive yourself if something worse happens to her because we were waiting on dad to get home? Because I don't think I could."

Frank didn't like disobeying his father's orders, but he knew his brother was right. "Okay, we keep investigating what we can on our own."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Family Loyalties  
>Chapter 4<p>

Riley looked from side to side before she entered the bus station. She didn't see anyone who seemed to be paying her any attention. She went to the locker area and fished the small key out of her pocket and went straight to the correct locker. A quick turn of the key and the door opened. The contents of the locker were meager, just a small green backpack style purse. After she'd been attack, she was scared to carry her purse with her. So as soon as she'd arrived in Bayport, she'd stashed it in one of the lockers for safekeeping. All she had taken out of it before locking it up was a small portion of the money she'd brought with her. She opened the purse and checked to make sure the contents were still safe. Nothing seemed disturbed and she let the door of the locker close. She unzipped the single strap so that the purse now had two straps. She eased one over her left shoulder and under the sling before putting the other strap over her right shoulder. She figured it would be safer worn as a regular backpack than a purse.

She didn't have time to waste. She had to get back to Con's apartment before he returned. If he got back before her, he would think the worst. She wasn't sure just why that bothered her as much as it did. What did she owe him? Still, there was something different about him this time; something that suggested that maybe he really wanted to help her, that he cared about her feelings.

She stepped out of the bus station and took off in the direction of Con's apartment. She'd barely made it a block when the hairs on the back of her neck bristled. Her breathing quickened as she realized someone was watching her. She rolled her eyes, telling herself that with her black eye, bruised face, and the sling around her arm, she was bound to draw attention to herself. She was just being paranoid. She glanced around, ready to laugh at herself when there was no one threatening around.

She almost missed him as he ducked behind a building. She just got a fleeting glance at him but she recognized him immediately. Her face, ribs, and arms remembered him quite well. How had he found her here? She started walking again, quickening her pace despite the pain it caused her ribs. She had to get away, couldn't let him get his hands on her again. She crossed a couple more streets, ignoring the honks of the cars who weren't happy that she had crossed against the light. She glanced back once more and was relieved to see that it didn't look like he was following her.

She smiled, wondering if he'd only been a figment of her imagination. She turned back, ready to continue her journey back to her uncle's apartment. She bit back a scream when he stepped around the corner of a building in front of her. He smiled, although there was nothing nice or friendly in his expression.

"You shouldn't have come here; it's not safe for you."

He took a step toward her but she ducked under his grasp and took off at a dead run ignoring the pain. Her only focus was on getting away from him. She refused to look back to see if he was gaining on her or even following her. She knew she couldn't take a direct route back to Con's apartment. Couldn't take the chance on him finding her there. She didn't know where she was going but figured that if she was running blindly, it would make it even harder for him to track her.

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Frank and Joe were in the van heading toward Con's. Frank felt bad about deliberately disobeying their father but he had to admit that Joe had a point other than just his usual impetuousness. He only hoped their dad understood once he returned home.

"So what's our plan of attack?" Joe asked his older brother. He was sure that Frank had already thought through the meeting and knew what they needed to do.

"Riley seems to be more opened to talking to you with your infamous Joe Hardy charm. Maybe you should talk to her about the night her mother was killed. See what she remembers so we can decide if there was something the police missed because they were so quick to suspect her father. I'll talk to Con; I think I might be less likely to say something that will upset him. We'll play to our strengths and see what we can figure out."

Joe smiled. "I think you sell yourself short on the charm department, Frank. Callie seems to find you quite charming."

Frank's ears turned red but he didn't comment. Joe chuckled and then continued. "Speaking of Callie, I called Vanessa earlier. I told her about Riley and that she seemed to be traveling a little light. I thought maybe she'd have some clothes she might could loan her."

Frank cut his eyes to Joe while still watching the traffic. "How does speaking of Callie lead you into a discussion about Van?"

Rolling his eyes, Joe explained. "Simple. Van's going to call Callie and between the two of them, they are going to pick out several outfits that Riley should be able to wear. They'll drop off what they come up with at the house later. Come on Frank, follow the conversation, won't you. Hey, isn't that Riley?"

Frank glanced out the window to where Joe was pointing. Sure enough, Riley Davis was running down the sidewalk as if she were being chased by the devil himself. They didn't have to speak to know how they would handle the situation. They had worked with each other long enough to know what needed to be done. He slowed down so that Joe could get out and catch up with her. Frank would drive ahead so that he could park the van and cut her off from the other side.

For the second time in the same day, Joe found himself chasing after Riley. Joe was athletic and prided himself on his ability to outrun anyone on the football field or baseball diamond. However, had she'd not been injured, Riley might have been able to give him a run for his money. But since she was injured, he caught up with her in a hurry. This time when he reached out to grab her he made sure not to grab her injured arm. Riley screamed and tried to pull away. Joe noticed several people looking their way but fortunately they were all people who knew the Hardy's well enough not think twice about one of them chasing after someone. Joe figured they were probably more interested in figuring out what Riley might be guilty of to have the detective brothers come after her.

"Easy, Riley, It's me, Joe Hardy. Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

She struggled against him for a moment before his words sunk in and she collapsed against him breathing hard. He wrapped his arms around her trying to offer comfort as Frank came running up from the other side.

"Riley?"

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Neither brother could be sure if her repeated reassurances were meant to convince them or herself. Frank looked behind to where she had come from but didn't see anything that looked suspicious. When she finally unburied her head from Joe's chest a couple of minutes later, the older Hardy gave her a concerned smile.

"What were you running from?"

Once again fear filled her eyes and she looked back toward where she had come from. Like Frank had noticed when he made his look, there was no sign of the man who had been following her. "There was a man following me. I thought he was going to hurt me. He must have been scared off when the two of you came up."

Joe kept his arm around her as he led her over to their van; he wasn't sure she was steady enough to make it on her own. At the van, Frank slid open the side panel so that Riley could sit in one of the comfortable back seats. "What did he look like? Do you know what he wanted?"

Riley shook her head but she wouldn't look at them. Frank and Joe exchanged a look, they both realized there was something that she wasn't telling them. Joe perched on the floorboard of the van and looked at Riley, his expression serious. "Riley, Frank and I want to help you. We are willing to step out on a limb to give you that help but you've got to be willing to do the same with us. If you won't trust us to tell us everything that could help you, then I don't know how we can do that. So let's try this once more. What did the guy look like?"

Riley cast her eyes downward. She knew he was right but trusting anyone was difficult for her. "Nothing very remarkable about him; nothing that would make him stick out. He wasn't very tall, maybe half an inch taller than me but he was pretty well built. Like he worked out maybe? His hair was dark, maybe a shade or two darker than mine even. Brown eyes but they could almost look black at times." She glanced back up looking between Joe and Frank. The older of the two brothers was frowning slightly.

"That's a pretty good description. You had to have gotten more than just a passing look at him. Unless you've seen him before…"

She nodded, and decided to trust them with the full truth. "I only got a glance this time but it wasn't the first I've seen him. Three nights ago, he attacked me in an alley outside of Dulcer, New York. I got a real good look at him while he was beating the crap out of me. I don't know how he found me here; I guess he somehow knew I hopped a bus to here and hung out at the station hoping to run into me."

Joe could tell it was taking a lot of trust and effort for her to open up like that. He was concerned about the mention of the bus station though. Why had she gone to the bus station and why had Con allowed her? As if she could sense his thoughts, her eyes suddenly pleaded with him. "I wasn't running away. I went to the bus station to get my purse. After the attack I didn't think it was smart to keep my ID and other things on me when I was moving around so I put my purse in one of the lockers at the station. Now that I know I'm staying with Uncle Con, I figured it was safe for me to get it. If I had known he was going to be there, I would have waited or been more careful."

Frank reached out and gave her right shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Riley, if this guy followed you all the way from Dulcer, him attacking you must have been about more than just a simple mugging. Do you know what he wanted?"

Again she nodded almost reluctantly. "He had a warning for me. He told me that I needed to accept the fact that my dad killed my mom. Otherwise I would only end up hurt. It's not the first time I've been told that. Seems like everyone is always telling me the same thing. If this guy hadn't used his fists, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it."

Frank's cell phone rang and he reached to the holster on his waist to answer it. "Hello?"

"_Frank, it's Con. Riley's disappeared. I could use your and Joe's help finding her before she gets too far away."_

"Relax Con. She's right here with us. She's fine. We'll bring her to your apartment now." He said goodbye and returned the phone to his side. "Your uncle is pretty concerned about you. You ready to go home?"

"I'm ready to go to his apartment. Home isn't a word in my vocabulary any more. I guess he's pretty mad at me. I kind of didn't tell him I was leaving."

Joe climbed into the van and sat beside her in the back while Frank closed the side door and ran around to the front of the van to get in behind the wheel. "I'm sure he'll understand when you tell him what happened. Riley, neither Frank and I can guarantee we'll find the answers you want us to find but we will find you answers."

Riley gave a one armed shrugged. "That's all I really want Joe. I want the truth. I just don't believe anyone really searched hard enough to find it after the murder."

She sounded so dejected that Joe felt his heart go out to her once more. "Hey, I couldn't help but notice it looked like you packed a little light for your trip. I talked to my girlfriend and between Vanessa and Frank's girlfriend Callie, they are going to bring you some clothes you can wear while you are here."

Riley smiled slightly. "Thanks. I've been wearing these for the last four days and I was beginning to think they were becoming permanently attached."

The rest of the ride was silent. Joe still had questions that he wanted to ask but he wasn't sure how much more Riley could handle right then. He could tell she was hurting; all that running couldn't have been easy on her bruised ribs. She was looking out the front windshield wincing with every bump Frank was unable to avoid. He was pretty sure that the ER doctor would have written her a prescription for pain pills. He wondered if she had left before Con had been able to get the prescription filled.

As Frank pulled up in front of Con's apartment building, he noticed that the burly police officer was standing at the bottom of the stairs watching for them. He straightened up when he saw the van. Before Frank had fully put the vehicle in park, Con had the side door open.

"Riles, are you okay?"

She nodded, her head downcast waiting for him to fuss at her. Instead he held his hand out to her to help her out of the van. Once she was standing on the ground, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"I got back and you weren't here and I almost panicked, Riles. Don't scare me like that, Darling."

"She had a little scare, Con, but she's okay." Frank briefly filled him in on why she had gone and about someone following her and scaring her. Con's anger grew at the idea of someone threatening his niece. By the time Frank finished the story, Con had crushed Riley up against him. He looked over at the two brothers.

"Did either of you get a look at him?"

Joe shook his head. "He must have ran off when he saw us come up because we didn't see anyone. Of course we weren't paying attention until we saw Riley running. We were actually on our way over here to talk to both of you about the case."

Con nodded. "Okay, well, you are safe now. Your burger and fries are up in the apartment. Why don't you go on up and get started on it. Your chocolate shake is in the freezer. I'll be up in a second."

Riley nodded and went up the stairs slowly, favoring her ribs. Con waited until she was out of earshot before turning to the brothers. "Thanks for finding her, Boys. If something had happened to her…. Well, I don't want to even think about it. I don't get it though; Bayport doesn't have a big mugging problem. Why would someone try to follow her?"

"She said it was the same guy who hurt her. He must have followed her from Dulcer."

Con's eyes narrowed. "Dulcer? Is that where she told you she was at when she was attacked?"

Joe nodded. "That's what she said. I take it that means something to you."

Con nodded, a sick feeling forming in his gut. "Yeah, I'm afraid it does. It actually explains a lot. Whether she wants to or not, I think it's time that she and I have a nice long conversation. I know you wanted to talk to us but do you think you could come back later?"

Frank nodded. "Sure, Joe's talked to the girls and they are getting some clothes ready for her so we'll wait until they drop them off to come back."

Con nodded, glad that the brothers had thought of clothes; it hadn't even crossed his mind. As they got back in the van to pull away, he climbed back up the stairs to his apartment. Opening the door, he found Riley sitting at the table absently eating her fries. He sat down opposite her and opened his own burger.

"It taste okay?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry I scared you. I really thought I'd be back before you got back."

He leveled his gaze at her and then reached out and ruffled her short brown hair, much the way he'd done when she was a little girl and they hung out together. "I'll forgive you if you promise not to scare me like that again. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. You are a lot like your mom and heaven knows she was the most independent, stubborn…"

Riley forced a little smile at the mention of her mother. She knew how close her mom and uncle had been growing up. She'd often wished she had a brother with whom she could share that same closeness with. "You used to tell me that I was a perfect blend of both mom and dad. Gram and Gramps would consider that an insult now but I always liked the idea that I was so much like both of them."

Con realized one of the reasons she wasn't devouring her burger was because she was having trouble handling the bigness of the burger one handed. He got up from his seat, went into the kitchen and returned with a knife. Once again he was reminded of simpler happier times as he cut the burger into fourths the way they used to have to when she was a small child. Before returning to his seat, he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I think you took some of the best of both of them and made yourself into your own person. That could never be an insult, Riles."

The slight blush to her cheeks and the fact that her smile looked a little less forced suggested that he had said the right thing. They ate in silence for several minutes before Con took a deep breath, not sure how to ask the questions he needed to ask. "Frank said you came here from Dulcer. You went to see your dad, didn't you? How did that go?"

In the two years Mickey Davis had been incarcerated, Con had tried several times to go visit him but Mickey had refused to see him every time. He guessed he couldn't really blame his brother-in-law; even though they had always gotten along well while Regina was alive, it would have to be a scary thing to face the brother of the woman you had confessed to killing. However, Mickey idolized his daughter; he could imagine how horrible it had been for Mickey to go so long without seeing Riley.

Riley hung her head and pushed the plate only half finished. "I've been writing him since he was sent away. I keep telling him that I don't think he's guilty and that I love him. But I never get anything back from him. I got to thinking maybe that Gram and Gramps had been intercepting my mail to keep me from hearing from him. They were always putting me off when I'd ask to go visit him so I thought it was a reasonable fear. I couldn't take it any more and I decided to go see him without their knowledge. I needed him to know I was on his side and I didn't want anyone getting in my way."

Con sighed. He could tell by her body language that the visit hadn't gone the way she'd hoped. "What happened, Riles?"

"They told me I couldn't see him. At first I thought they were just being jerks and I pitched a royal fit; the type Mom used to say was the payback she was receiving for all the trouble she ever gave Gram and Gramps. It was then they told me that it wasn't their decision not to let me see him but Dad's." She looked up at her uncle, the pain clear in her eyes. "My own dad refused to see me."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Neither brother talked much on the way home. As soon as they entered the house, Frank excused himself saying there was something he wanted to check out. Recognizing his brother's "I'm on to something" demeanor, Joe followed him upstairs. He wasn't surprised to see his brother head straight for the computer. Joe sat on Frank's bed as his brother worked. Though he was curious as to what Frank was looking for, Joe knew better than to interrupt him.

Finally, Frank leaned back in his seat, satisfied that he had found his answer. Now maybe Joe could learn both the question as well as the answer. "What is it?"

"Riley is from Coverton. That's about 100 miles from here; So is Dulcer but from a different direction. You can almost draw a triangle if you tried to connect the three cities. So why was Riley in Dulcer to start with?"

Joe nodded. It wasn't something he'd thought about but now that Frank had pointed it out, he realized that Frank was right. He nodded toward the computer. "So why was she?"

"The state of New York has prisons all over the place; that's no secret. But there's only one prison that serves inmates who have mental problems. Want to take a guess where it is?"

Joe remembered the newspaper article they had read earlier that quoted Con's father as saying the Mickey Davis was crazy. He let out a low whistle. "Let me guess, Dulcer?"

Frank nodded. "I pulled up the prison there and did an inmate search. Mickey Davis is serving his time there."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: So sorry for the long delay. I hope you are still interested. I plan to update more regularly. Please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: Still not mine

Family Loyalties  
>Chapter 5<p>

Con looked at Riley, his heart breaking for his niece for what had to be the 50th time that day. He could see the pain and defeat in her eyes but no tears. He knew she was a strong person - she had too much of her mother in her not to be, but surely this sense of abandonment she must be feeling warranted a few tears. Did Mickey realize what his refusal to see her had done to her?

"You can't take it personally, Riles. I can't imagine jail has been good to him. Heck, jail isn't good on anyone but for someone like your dad it would be even worse. I'm sure in his heart he wanted you there. He probably didn't want you to see him like that."

Riley played with the straw in her shake. Logically she knew Con could be right; she'd even had the same thought herself during the bus ride from Dulcer to Bayport. It was one of the things that had increased her need to find the truth so that her father could go free. But it didn't totally take away the hurt his refusal caused. "I need him; even if he's broken, he's still the father I want and need. Why can't anyone see that?"

Con could imagine what life had been like for her with his parents. They would have tried to poison her against the man they never believed was good enough for their daughter. He wouldn't be surprised if they had tried to make her feel guilty for supporting and loving the man who had killed her mother. No one, especially not a teen going through that emotional stress of just figuring out who they were, deserved that. Now his own guilt rose. No matter what, he shouldn't have allowed his parents to keep him away. If nothing else, he should have been the compassionate shoulder she needed to lean on after losing everything that was dear to her.

Before he could think of anything that might be comforting, Riley rose from the table. He didn't miss the way she winced and put one hand to her sore ribs and the other to the back of her chair as if to steady herself. He frowned. "I can tell you are hurting. I know you didn't want me to get your pills filled but I did anyway. Why don't you take one?"

She shook her head. "I can handle the pain. I don't want drugs. I could however go for a nice long hot shower. Do you mind?"

Con shook his head. "Not at all. My clothes would swallow you whole and then some but I could probably scrounge you up a t-shirt and a pair of shorts that have a drawstring that you can put on until Frank and Joe bring over a change of clothes for you later."

A slow smile spread over Riley's face. "That would be great." Before he knew what she was doing, she crossed over and gave him a warm hug. He smiled as well and wrapped his arms around her. This was how things had been between them before Gina had died; the way things should have remained between them.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Hey, kiddo, I know it might not seem like it sometimes but I really do love you."

Not matter how hurt she'd been at times by what felt like his complete betrayal, she couldn't doubt the sincerity in his words just now. Unbidden tears sprang to her eyes and threatened to go straight to heart wrenching sobs unlike any she'd experienced in years. How long had it been since anyone had professed to loving her? She couldn't remember a single one since the day her father had been taken from her and sent to prison.

Con felt the spots of wetness on his shirt and swore under his breath when he looked down and saw that she was crying. He hadn't meant to upset her and he instinctively tightened his hold on her, being careful not to squeeze her already sore ribs too much. Was his declaration a matter of too little too late?

"I'm sorry." She said a moment later, pulling away and wiping at her eyes impatiently. "I guess I should get in the shower."

Con nodded and retrieved a t-shirt and pair of shorts for her to change into. She disappeared into the bathroom and a few minutes later he heard the shower turn on. He returned to the kitchen and finished his burger and shake. As he stood to clear the table, he realized that Riley hadn't even ate half her burger and as he picked up her shake realized it was still mostly full. He crossed to the bathroom to ask her through the closed door if she wanted him to save her food for when she got out. Before he could knock on the door and call out to her, he could hear the sounds of what could only be sobs and groans over the sound of water running.

He swore; she was obviously hurting more than she'd let on. She needed the pain medication but was fighting taking it; he couldn't understand why and he couldn't stand to stand there and listen to her suffer. He returned to the kitchen and picked up the bottle of pain pills sitting there. He removed the cap and shook out one of the pills into his hands. If she was too stubborn to take care of herself, didn't he have a responsibility to do it for her? Without questioning his decision, he smashed the pill into a powder and picked up her shake. He thumbed off the lid and was about to rake the powdery substance into the melting concoction but something stopped him. A sense that drugging her without her knowledge wasn't just wrong but could also damage any chance he had of salvaging his fragile relationship with her. With a growl of defeat, he put the undoctored shake in the freezer to stay cold and then wiped up the evidence that he'd even thought about putting the medication in her food.

It was almost twenty minutes later before Riley padded barefoot and almost swallowed by his clothes back into the living room. She was still towel drying her short brown hair with her right arm. Her left dangled at her side holding the sling and bandage the doctor had given her. She looked at him uncertainly. "You think you can help me with the bandage? It's a little difficult one-handed."

Con smiled and nodded. As he expertly wound the bandage around her wrist, he studied her carefully. A less observant person might dismiss her red eyes as a byproduct of the shower but he wasn't fooled. He knew it was from the tears he'd heard her crying. He might have been unable to hide the drugs in her shake but that couldn't stop him from trying to change her mind.

"Look, Riles, I can tell you are hurting. It hurts me to see you suffering when it would be easy to make the pain go away. Please, if you won't take a whole pain pill, how about if I cut one in half for you? It's better than nothing."

She shook her head, stubbornly. "Yeah, it hurts but I've gotten used to the pain by now."

Con sighed, recognizing that he wouldn't be able to change her mind. "Okay then, how about the rest of your shake and burger? You barely ate half your supper earlier."

Riley nodded, more than a little grateful that it looked like he was finally going to drop the matter of the pain pills. She followed Con to the kitchen and gingerly perched on the stool at the counter as he reheated her burger in the microwave. Glancing down, she noticed the prescription bottle sitting there with the cap mostly off. Her heartbeat quickened as she also caught a glimpse of a fine white powder on the countertop.

Tears prickled her eyes and she could feel her self control quickly shifting out of control. With shaky hands, she picked up the bottle of pills and poured them out onto the counter and counted them. 19 and the bottle said the quantity should be 20.

"How could you? I told you I didn't need them but you had to know better than me didn't you? What did you hide it in, the burger or the shake? When did you do it? Before I started eating the first time or while I was in the shower? Am I drugged now? You're a cop, Uncle Con, you are suppose to protect people from being drugged against their will. I can't believe I trusted you."

Con turned from the microwave and leaned against the counter. He closed his eyes against her accusing glare. He felt ashamed and guilty knowing that even though he'd ultimately decided against it, that had been his original plan. He could only hope that she'd believe and forgive him since his better judgment had overruled the bad idea.

She slid off the stool almost falling in her haste to get away from him. By now the tears that had been threatening were streaking down her cheeks. She was making a beeline for the back of the house like she couldn't get away from him fast enough.

"Where are you going?" Con finally found his voice. He couldn't defend his actions until he stopped her escape from him.

"Getting my clothes and then getting out of here. I told you I'd stay until you gave me a reason to leave; I'm thinking drugging my food qualifies. I can't believe I trusted you. I guess the apple doesn't fall off the tree after all. I'm such a fool."

There was no way Con was going to let her eave the apartment, especially as upset as she was. He crossed the room, intercepting her before she could lock herself in the bathroom. He wrapped his arms around her, tight enough so her struggles against him were useless but not so tight that he would hurt her. Still he needed her to calm down because he knew that no matter how hard to prevent it, she was only going to cause herself further pain.

"Riles, listen to me, Darling. Yeah, I thought about putting one of your pills in your shake cause I hate to see you hurting. I've had your injuries before I know how bad it hurts. But I didn't do it. I went so far as to crush one up but in the end I just couldn't do it. You gotta believe me, Darling."

Her struggles didn't ease at all. He'd never seen her this upset or wild and it scared him. In their altercations in recent past, she'd always fought like her mother, using cold logic and a keen sense of cunning to try to win her way instead of tears or brute force. Currently she reminded Con more of her father the one time he'd ever seen Mickey out of control the summer he'd tried to stop… Inwardly, Con cursed, remembering her words about the apple. What exactly had his parents done?

"Gotta believe you? Why should I? You kept trying to insist I take the magic little pills and then I find evidence that one was crushed up. And you want me to believe you changed your mind at the last minute? Let go of me or I'll scream bloody murder. I doubt your neighbors would like that."

Instead, he tightened his grasp using his own superior strength to maneuver them both to the couch. He was a cop and he could subdue suspects without a second thought but he felt almost inadequate and helpless against his niece. He felt like he was drowning and didn't have a preserver to grab hold to. Maybe he should let her go; give her time to calm down but it worried him to think of her out on the streets with the guy who hurt her out there somewhere. Maybe he could convince her to stay with Laura and the boys. Laura Hardy could work her mothering magic and Frank and Joe would make sure she was safe.

Just as he was about to make the suggestion, her struggles against him suddenly ceased. He looked down in alarm, afraid he'd hurt her. Instead he saw that she'd fallen asleep against him, worn out by the physical and emotional on top of probably not sleeping well the past few days. It wasn't a victory for him but he'd take the temporary cease fire as a chance to better forearm himself.

He picked her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. He settled her comfortably on the bed and covered her with the blanket. He was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to sneak out of the apartment through the window, there wasn't a fire escape on that side of the building and it was too long of a drop otherwise, but to be sure he doubled checked the lock on the window before leaving the room.

He closed the door and went for his computer. He wasn't as savvy about finding things as Frank Hardy was but he could manage easy Google searches. He typed in his query and frowned as the results came up. The symptoms he'd witnessed in her were consistent with what he was seeing that he could expect if his fears were correct but it still didn't make sense. His parents wouldn't really drug Riley without her knowledge would they? Besides weren't doctor's reluctant to prescribe these kind of drugs to teenagers because of the worry about increase risk of suicide? There was only one way to find out. He did another internet search for the drugstore his parents always use in Cloverton. Then he picked up his phone and dialed the number.

A young woman answered. Con used the voice he saved for dealing with potential witnesses, the one that got even the most cautious people to lower their guard and trust him. "I need to check on a prescription for Riley Davis, common spelling on the last name and the first name is R-I-L-E-Y."

He could hear her clicking the keys on the keyboard and hoped her search would come up empty. "Yes, sir, I see one here for Cymbalta. It looks like it was last filled three weeks ago and still has four refills. Are you ready to order a refill?"

"Not right now. Could you give me the name of the prescribing doctor?" He'd seen the commercials, he recognized Cymbalta as an anti-depressant and he'd also seen the warnings where it was not recommended or approved for people under the age of 18. Who would have prescribed the drug for Riley?

"Dr. Patrick Sawyers."

Con thanked her and hung up the phone. Pat Sawyers had to be pushing 70 or 80 by now; he'd been an older doctor years ago when he would teat Con and Gina's illnesses growing up. His eyes fell on Riley's purse. Did he dare risk his already broken relationship by sneaking a peak in her purse? He sighed and picked up the bag. Right now all he had were fears and questions. Before he accused his parents of a terrible act, he needed facts and answers.

Her purse was void of any pills, including such innocuous over the counter medications as Tylenol. Regardless of how she'd been taking the anti-depressants, it looked probable that she'd abruptly come off them four days ago when she left home. No wonder her emotions were all over the place.

Minutes passed into an hour and no sound emerged from his bedroom. He found himself easing open the door and peeking inside to check on her every few minutes much the way he'd done when she'd been a baby and he had stayed with them. She looked peaceful despite the dried tear tracks on her face and she didn't appear to be hurting so he was glad for that. He wasn't sure if she'd sleep through the night or wake up soon ready for round two but he didn't think he'd be able to sleep.

She was still asleep at 7:30 when there was a knock on his front door. He checked the peephole, half expecting to see either his parents or Chief Collig with a directive to return Riley home. He was glad to see it was Frank and Joe. He shouldn't have been surprised. The boys had gotten whiff of a mystery and it was almost impossible to keep them away once that happened. He invited them in, cautioning them to not wake up Riley.

Joe handed Con a small duffle bag. "These are the outfits Van and Callie got together for Riley. Painkillers knocked her out, huh? I'm not surprise; they always throw me for a loop whenever I have to take them. Sometimes I swear Mom has the doctor put something besides the pain medication in them just to slow me down."

"Something like that." Con muttered, not wanting to admit his mistakes or his fears to the teenage boys. "I know you wanted to ask Riley some questions about the murder but I guess you'll have to settle for asking me instead."

Frank decided not to beat around the bush but go straight for the hard question. "Do you think he did it?"

"I don't know, Frank. I didn't when it first happened. Mickey loved Gina as much as your father loves Laura, maybe even more. He had his issues but loving his family wasn't one of them. But he confessed; I can't figure that out. Why would he give up his freedom and lose Riley if he didn't do it?"

Frank nodded; it wasn't a simple yes or no answer but he appreciated the honesty of it. "Those issues you mentioned; would they explain why he's serving his time in a prison for mental patients?"

Con nodded and motioned the boys to sit down. Mickey's condition wasn't a shameful secret to anyone other than Conrad and Rebecca Riley but it wasn't easy to explain either. "It started out as social anxiety disorder. Pretty much all of his life he had trouble in social situations. He avoided them when he could, stuttered and became awkward when he couldn't. Making friends was almost impossible for him but Gina saw something in him that most people refused to see. They got close in college and got married. Mom and Dad didn't approve; they believed that his illness was going to hinder what Gina could accomplish with someone more socially adept. A year after they got married things took a turn for the worse. Several things happened; he lost his job as a computer programmer when the company he worked for went under; his dad died, and Gina had a difficult pregnancy that ended in their son being stillborn and Gina almost died during the delivery. Everything seemed to be snowballing for Mickey and his symptoms worsened. The doctor diagnosed him with Manic Depressive Disorder and wanted to hospitalize him but Gina insisted that he would be fine at home. It was a very bad year but Gina stuck by him. By the time Gina got pregnant again, things had improved some; he had started his own business working from home as a computer programmer and it was successful; nobody could work a computer like Mickey could. He was pretty much a complete agoraphobic but they made things work for them. This pregnancy was much easier and Riley was born. She became the light of Mickey and Gina's world. He could leave the house but only for short amounts of time and it was still an ordeal for him. No matter what treatments he tried he never could get past all the symptoms but they adapted. Their lives weren't normal but it didn't matter to them. Growing up Riley knew her home life wasn't like that of her friends but she was loved and happy so it didn't matter. Mom and Dad took every chance to put Mickey down; however, they didn't see his problems as an illness but a choice. A choice that was going to make Gina miserable."

Frank and Joe took in the information without a word. They couldn't imagine what life had been like for Riley growing up with a father who couldn't leave the house for extended periods but they knew from the conversations they had had with her that it didn't change the way she felt about her father.

"Mickey was the one who discovered Gina's body that morning. I guess if he really did kill her then it made sense that he found her. I hate to say it because she was only 14 at the time but it might have been less cruel if Riley had found her instead. I showed up as soon as I could and Mickey was in bad shape. They didn't have any choice but to hospitalize him for a few days. He went straight from the hospital to the Cloverton jail."

Frank frowned. "I'm surprised given his mental condition, they were able to accept his confession."

Con sighed rubbing his eyes wearily. "I thought the same thing but the DA brought in a psychiatrist who declared him competent."

The phone rang and Con grabbed it up before the phone in the bedroom woke Riley. He was surprised to hear the operator say it was a collect call from Mickey Davis and ask if he would accept the charges. Startled he said yes and the operator put the caller through.

"Mickey, is that really you?"

"_Con, I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to but I need your help."_


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: I'm not getting many reviews so I'm not sure if people are not liking the story or what. Please let me know. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: Not mine

Family Loyalties  
>Chapter 6<p>

Hearing his brother-in-law's voice for the first time in almost two years seemed weird for Con. If Mickey needed help, then help Con would give him if for no other reason than he knew it would be what both Gina and Riley would want him to do. "What do you need?"

"_Riley c…c…came t…t...to s…s…see m…me the o…other d...day." _Mickey's stuttering was very pronounced which told Con that the man was either upset or nervous, or both. But his daughter's name was pronounced perfectly and almost reverently. Con didn't think he'd ever heard Mickey stumble over either Riley's or Gina's names except for the day Mickey had called to tell him that Gina was gone.

"I know; she was pretty hurt when you refused to see her." Con knew he probably should have softened both his words and tone. Though neither either especially malicious or sharp, he knew it would seem much worse to Mickey's ears. Part of Mickey's condition caused him to be overly sensitive to any criticism and Mickey suffered the worst when the criticism involved either Gina or Riley. But even knowing that, Con couldn't hold back his words, especially after seeing how upset Riley had been.

"_S…she d…d…deserves b…b…better than m…me." _Con was used to hearing Mickey sound defeated even if it had been awhile but this was lower than he'd ever heard him. He was aware that Frank and Joe were still sitting there looking at him curiously but he knew they would wait until he was off the phone to ask questions.

"You're right, she deserves a lot better than you, me, my parents, and just about everybody else in her life right now; but we're who she's stuck with. Since that's the case, she at least deserves to be treated better by all of us than she's been treated but I'm no better than you in that regard.

"_I…I j…j…just w…w…wanted her t…to g…go home and f…forget a…about m…me. D…d…didn't m…m…mean f…f…or her t…to g…g…get h…h…hurt." _The stuttering was becoming more pronounced probably because he was getting more upset about not being able to get his point across.

Con sighed. "Don't worry, Mickey, she's here with me and she's strong enough that she's not going to let your rejection keep her down long. You and Gina never hid your problems from her so she understands how difficult this is even if she doesn't like it. It'll be okay."

"_NO!" _No hint of stuttering with that one forceful word but he was clearly upset. Con knew the guards wouldn't let him continue the conversation if he got too upset. He could hear someone whispering something to Mickey then another voice came on the line. Con expected to hear a guard say that the conversation was over but he was wrong.

"_Yo, Con right? I'm Sam; I share, well let's just call them accommodations, with Mickey here. He's getting pretty frustrated with his words not coming out right and it's going to make the guards pretty frustrated as well. I offered to translate for him as he writes out what he's trying to say. You cool by that?"_

"Yeah, that's cool." Con ran a weary hand over his face. How had this day gotten so complicated this fast?

"_Okay, he says he got frightened when Riley showed up -Geesh, I feel sorry for the kid with a moniker like that to live with but I guess with an uncle with a name like Con... Sorry Mick, I'll drop it. Okay, so he says he knew she could be pretty stubborn when she wants something and he was afraid she'd keep trying to see him. I guess he was discussing the problem with some of the others here – not me, mind you; I'd have told him to just give in and see her for a few minutes and be done with it. Mick, don't look at me like that; you kind of scary when you get like that. So anyway, Newman tells him he's gotta brother on the outside who looks pretty scary. Offers to call him up and get him to pay her a little visit, just to scare her a little and give her a warning to go home. Mickey was against it until Newman assured him that she wouldn't be hurt so he agreed. Then he gets to talking to some of us who knows Newman's family a little better and we tell him that the guy's a little whacked. Rumor has it the brother has a thing for beating up little girls and hurting them in other ways if you know what I mean and since Mickey's told me before his bro-in-law's a cop, I think you do. So now the Mickster is afraid that maybe Newman's brother maybe did a little more than just scare her or maybe plans to do more."_

Con swore. That explained the guy who had beaten Riley. Sam continued. _"Mickey want to know since you said she's there with you if she's okay. Newman's brother didn't mess her up or nothin' did he? Cause like we can mess Newman up if he did. I seen pictures Mick has of his little girl and I wouldn't like to think anyone messed up that sweet face or something."_

Though Sam sounded a little rough around the edges himself, this was a prison after all, Con was glad to know that Mickey did have at least someone on the inside keeping an eye on him. "Tell him she's fine." It might not be the whole truth but the truth just might send Mickey over the edge. "I'll make sure she stays that way. Put him back on the phone."

Con heard Sam relay the message and then the phone made a clunking noise as it changed hands. Mickey sounded miserable when he next spoke. _"C…C…Con, I…I'm s…s…sorry. D…D…don't h…hate m…me."_

"I don't hate you Mickey; can't say I'm happy with you but I'm sure you didn't mean for anything bad to happen. I'll protect her and try to nab Newman's brother if he comes around here. Don't worry about her, but seriously consider letting her see you. She's determined and you know she's like Gina when she's got her mind set on something. The more you try to deter her, the more headstrong she gets."

"_I...I'll think about it." _The lack of excessive stuttering in his last words suggested he was calmer now that he was sure Riley was okay and would be protected.

Con hung up the phone and buried his head in his hands, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't alone. He had to wrap his mind around what he'd just learned and figure out what to do about it. The protective uncle in him wanted to drive straight to Ducler and demand to see Mickey just so he could pt his fist in his face for endangering Riley. While he was there, he'd have a go at Newman as well for even suggesting his brother get involved. The cop in him wanted to get a name for this guy after his niece and put out an all points bulletin on the thug. The man in him knew neither was possible. Finally he looked at the two detectives who were watching him carefully. He could see the impatience reflecting in Joe's eyes and the concern in Frank's. They hadn't heard the whole conversation but they had heard enough and could see through Con's expression that the news wasn't good.

With a deep breath he related what Mickey through Sam had to say. The impatience in Joe's eyes slowly turned to a smoldering anger. When Con finished, Joe exploded in anger. "How could he do that? I though you said he wouldn't hurt Riley."

Frank was a little more thoughtful. "If you report this, it could get him in trouble couldn't it? Even if he didn't mean for her to get hurt."

Con nodded. "I really want to make an official report so we can get her protected and have this guy arrested but I risk more than Mickey getting in trouble. Both Riley and I could have serious consequences if I make this official."

It was clear that Frank and Joe didn't understand so he explained. "Riley is a runaway and I know it. I haven't called my parents to let her know she's with me. If I make a report, everyone's going to know I'm harboring a runaway. I could lose my job or at the very least face serious reprimands at work. I'd be okay with that but it could mean worse for Riley. If DHS gets involved, they could take and make her a ward of the state, putting her in a home for delinquent teens."

Frank frowned. "That would be pretty excessive for a first offense wouldn't it? I can't see DHS going to such extremes every time a teen ran away from home."

Con hung his head. "First offense, probably not. Unfortunately Riley would be considered a habitual offender. I don't know how many times she's run away that my parents haven't reported, and right now I think this is one of those times, but they've reported her missing three or four times just in the first six months after the murder. The first time they called me in to help look for her. We found her hiding in her old house pretty quickly. The next time she called me and asked if the two of us could go camping together. It wasn't the first time we'd done that so I didn't think anything about it. It wasn't until I dropped her off a week later that I found out my parents had no idea where she'd gone. The last time I'm aware of she just showed up at my front door. I had received an alert at work earlier that day that she'd runaway so I had no choice but to call my parents when she showed up. It broke my heart cause she practically begged me to let her live with me. I didn't answer her one way or the other but inwardly I was excited about the idea. When my parents showed up, I took them aside and broached the idea with them."

Joe, having had a few conversations with Riley already, was pretty sure he knew how that turned out. "I take it they didn't like the idea."

Con shook his head at the understatement. "That's putting it mildly. I suggested it wouldn't even have to be a permanent switch; just let her stay with me until things calmed down between them but you would have thought I'd offered to cut off her arm or something. I knew she had to be miserable to have run away so often so I threatened to take them to court to petition for custody. At first they just laughed; after all what court would give custody of a 14 year old girl to an unmarried man when she had an older, married couple to raise her? I had an ace up my sleeve, Riley wanted to live with me and Gina had named as Riley's godfather when she was born. I figured that might sway the courts in my favor. That's when my dad pulled out his big guns. The legal expenses in those kind of custody battles can be pretty steep and my dad threatened to draw it out until I didn't have two dimes to run together. I don't I ever told you this but my parents are pretty wealthy. They could afford appeal after appeal if they didn't win but there was no way I could on my salary as a cop. Plus they threatened to drag my name through the mud if I even tried. I caved and they took Riley home without giving me a chance to explain why I couldn't take her. No telling what they told her."

"They told me you just didn't want me. Said I'd cramp your bachelor lifestyle." Riley stood in the doorway to the living room. She rubbed her eyes with her good hand, her eyes misting once again. He wasn't sure how much she'd heard but it was apparently enough. She continued sadly. "I didn't want to believe them; after all you always seemed to enjoy spending time with me. But you never called or wrote or even came to visit anyone so I figured they were right."

"I called every day for a whole month after they took you home but they wouldn't let me talk to you. Threatened to get a restraining order if I didn't stop calling or if I came to visit. A restraining order could have cost me my job so I finally gave up. I'm sorry, Darling; sorry I couldn't fight harder for you and sorry I didn't make sure I let you know it wasn't about you."

"Why would Gram and Gramps make me think you didn't care? I'd already lost my mom and had my dad ripped from my life; why take one more person out of my life?" Her voice sounded so small and childlike and suddenly Con wanted to take a drive to Cloverton instead of Dulcer and punch his parents instead of his brother-in-law.

He was pretty sure he knew the answer. They had believed they had ultimate control of the lives of both their children; that Gina and he would do exactly what they told them to do simply because they had said so. It wasn't until Gina had defied their wishes and married Mickey and he'd joined the police academy that they realized that their had raised their children to think for themselves and decide what was best for their own lives. Suddenly with the death of their daughter, a matter they blamed completely on her disregard for their wishes, and the subsequent arrest of her husband, they had a second chance in Riley to correct the mistakes they believed they had made in their own children. What better way to make sure Riley conformed to their every whim than by making sure she never had the chance to think for herself. Still, he didn't say any of this out loud. It was one thing to be disenchanted with your own parents but he didn't have the right to color any one else's opinion of them. If Riley wanted to come to the same conclusion that was one thing but he wasn't going to bash them in front of her.

Frank stood up; it was obvious they weren't going to get any more information about the case tonight and it looked like Con and Riley needed the time alone to try to mend the tears in their relationship caused by Con's parents. They didn't need an audience for that. He nudged Joe upward. The younger Hardy didn't look as keen about leaving; Frank realized his little brother had made it his mission to protect the younger girl. He would tease his brother about whether Vanessa should be worried but he could tell this wasn't a romantic interest. Joe had invested himself in helping her with her quest for the truth, probably because he saw the same pain in her that he'd felt in himself after Iola had been murdered.

"Con, Joe and I are going to cut out of here. You two obviously have a lot to talk about and you don't need us around to do that. If you need us for anything, just give us a call; otherwise, we'll be by tomorrow."

"Hold up, Guys." Con stopped them, crossing the room to gently cup Riley's shoulders. "Look Riles, I want you here; I always did but I know you were pretty mad at me before you fell asleep. If you would feel better staying at the Hardy's tonight until you decide if you can trust me, I'll understand. I trust them completely and I'd feel more comfortable if you were with them instead of worrying if you are going to slip out in the night and take your chances on the street."

Frank and Joe exchanged a look, each clearly asking the other what could have happened before they arrived that would call Riley's trust of Con into question. It aroused their curiosity even more but at the same time, it was gratifying to hear that Con really did trust them that much to be willing to entrust his niece into their care knowing a criminal with nefarious intent could be out there watching for her.

For a moment, Riley just looked up at Con, chewing on her bottom lip as if contemplating her choices. The she looked over at Frank and Joe as if she were sizing them up as well. The she shook her head.

"I appreciate the offer, Uncle Con. It means a lot that you are giving me the choice. If you don't mind, I'd rather stay here. We can't fix what's wrong if I run away."

The grin that broke out on Con's face spoke volumes. He hugged her gently. "I don't mind at all." He looked back at the boys. "Thanks for bringing the clothes over. As you can probably tell, my clothes swallow her whole. Tell Vanessa and Callie thanks for us as well."

Joe nodded. "We will. If there's any trouble tonight, call us and we'll be back to provide back up."

Frank added. "I think Mom is worried about your culinary skills, Con, whether Riley is going to starve so she told us to invite the two of you over for brunch in the morning."

Both boys said their goodbyes and then left the apartment. Con led Riley to the couch so she could sit down. He regarded her carefully trying to gauge her pain level without asking. Though she was still obviously upset about what she'd overheard, her face seemed more serene than it had before her nap so he took that as a sign that the rest and helped ease the pain. He sat beside her.

"Want to tell me about the Cymbalta?"

Her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out how he'd found out. Seeing the question in her eyes, he shrugged. "Your reactions earlier seemed a little over the top for you and I had my suspicions so I called the pharmacy in Cloverton who confirmed they had a prescription in your name for Cymbalta. I don't get it, Darling, that drug isn't recommended for teens. Why were you taking it?"

Her face hardened and she crossed her good arm over her left as if to protect herself. "I'm not." Her tone was a little petulant and Con sighed.

"Come on Riles, we need full disclosure here. If you weren't taking it, then why was their a prescription in your name?"

She scooted closer to him, and without hesitation he moved his arm so she could snuggled up against him. Her voice when she began to speak was once again small and hesitant. "Gram had these ideas of how I was suppose to act. She was all about her country club friends and their grandchildren. She thought we all should be BFF's or something but I didn't like them. I'd say they were pretty shallow but the truth is a flat surface is deeper than most of them were. To make matters worse, when the adults weren't around they would make catty remarks about my parents. I hated being around them so I started making up reasons not to spend time with them. Gram decided I had 'avoidance' issues and was starting to become like my dad; you can imagine the disdain she'd say that with. She took me to Dr. Sawyers who recommended the Cymbalta; seems anti-depressants could lessen the severity of symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder."

"And?"

"I refused to take them. I have my quirks, Uncle Con; I'll admit them. One of those is that I don't take any kind of medication. I've been that way for as long as I can remember. Mom used to say it was a good thing I didn't get sick a lot Yeah, it's probably a symptom of S.A.D. but they are mild and don't interfere with my everyday life. No reason for treatment. Dad's doctor agreed but Gram didn't trust his word."

"When was this?" Other than the question, Con still didn't say a word. Despite her explanation of her refusal to take the medication, it didn't explain the symptoms of anti-depressant withdrawal he'd witnessed. She continued hauntingly almost as if she'd forgotten he was there. "Six months ago. I thought it was over, one battle I'd actually won. I should have known something was wrong. I wasn't sleeping right and what sleep I was getting was plagued with horrible dreams. My appetite was gone but the worst part was that I felt weird in my own skin. To be honest it scared me to think maybe Gram was right and something was really wrong with me. It wasn't until I found the half empty bottle of capsules five days ago that I realized what was going on. Gram was opening the capsules and emptying the contents in my breakfast every day. I left the next day to go visit Dad. I don't want you to get in trouble with them Uncle Con, but I don't care what happens to me. I'm not going back to stay with them. I'll run away where no one can find me before I do."

Con held her close, mentally kicking himself for even thinking about slipping her the pain killer; no wonder she'd gotten so upset. He kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, Darling. You aren't going anywhere, not into the wind and not back to my parents. I don't know how I'm going to swing it but I promise you I'm going to do everything I can to keep you with me."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Joe slipped on his sweatpants after his shower and knocked lightly on his brother's door. Frank was as usual sitting at the computer. "Shower's all yours. What are you doing?"

Frank twisted in his chair rubbing his eyes. He'd been staring at the screen without a break for too long and the eye strain and headache was starting to get to him. "I got to thinking about what Con told us about Mickey Davis's condition."

"Pretty scary stuff." Joe admitted. "Can you imagine being scared to leave your own home? I don't know Frank, I'd hate it for Riley but what if he did flip out and kill his wife?"

"What if he didn't? You heard Con, Mickey was a computer programmer. How did Con put it? 'No one could work a computer like he could.' I looked up the business Mickey started for himself. The big part of his business was setting up computer security systems for major corporations. Maybe someone wasn't happy with the job he did - maybe it was too good or not good enough- and they came after him. Gina could have been collateral damage."

Joe perched on the edge of Frank's bed. "That doesn't explain why Mickey would confess to a crime he didn't commit."

"Let's say during a football game someone you tackled broke his leg. How would you react?"

Joe shrugged, not understanding the connection. "I'd feel bad but it would have been an accident. It's a game and sometimes people get hurt."

Frank nodded. "That's how most people would feel. But someone with the disorders that Mickey Davis suffered from wouldn't see it the same way. Instead he would take full blame of what happened, even if there was no blame to be had."

"What does that have to do with Gina's death?" Joe asked, still not seeing the connection.

"If Gina was killed because of something related to Mickey's job; he'd feel like it was his fault. He'd hold himself just as responsible as the person who killed her. He may have confessed because even if he didn't hold the knife, he felt like he was responsible."

Joe nodded, finally seeing what his brother was saying. "So in his mind, if someone was after him and killed Gina by mistake, he would see it was as much his fault she was dead as if he'd held the knife."

'Exactly."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. I've been caught up with another project that had a deadline but I hope to update more quickly on this one. Hope you enjoy it. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.

Disclaimer: Not mine

Family Loyalties

Chapter 7

Con Riley stepped under the spray of the shower and let the steamy hot water cascade over his aching muscles. The night before it had seemed the right and noble thing to do when he insisted that Riley take his bed while he converted the couch into a bed. In the light of the morning, he was more convinced that the salesman who had sold him the sleeper sofa years ago promising that it would sleep just as comfortably as his regular bed should be arrested for false advertising. Rationally he knew it wasn't fair to blame all of his sleepless night on the offending couch but it seemed like that best scapegoat for his pains and exhaustion as he got ready to face the day.

The night before after he had made his declaration to Riley that somehow they would work things out, they had spent the next few hours in serious discussion. Though he didn't want to discredit Mickey in Riley's eyes, he knew she needed to know the truth about her attack in Dulcer and the possible continued danger she was in. As he had told her earlier, they needed full disclosure between them if they were going to repair the rift that had developed. He told her all about Mickey's phone conversation, emphasizing that her father hadn't intended for her to get hurt. While it was obvious it hurt her to know Mickey would go to such extremes not to see her, she purported no blame toward him. Instead, she maintained her belief that even when his actions made no sense, she knew he always had a reason for the things he did.

When Con could tell she was about to drop off to sleep sitting there talking to him, he'd insisted that she go to bed. He'd waved off her protests that she would sleep just fine on the couch, saying that he was going to stay up a little longer and she'd sleep better in the bedroom. He hadn't been lying. His brain was whirling with thoughts of how he was going to prevent his parents from taking Riley back to Cloverton when they eventually, and he was sure it would be soon, came to collect her. He'd spent another couple of hours doing more research on his computer, wishing from time to time that he knew computers the way it seemed that everyone else did. When he caught himself dozing off in his computer chair, he'd decided it was time to turn in himself. Now as he stood under the spray of the shower, he let his mind drift back to the memory of how bad things had gotten during the night.

_Once he'd pulled out the bed portion of the sofa and tried to fall asleep on the never before used mattress, he'd known that a good sleep wouldn't be possible. He tossed and turned for what seemed like hours before exhaustion won out over comfort and he fell into an uneasy sleep. A sleep that would only last about an hour before a strange noise in the apartment awakened him. He'd sat up, his heart pounding, trying to decipher not only where the sound was coming from but what it was. It had taken him only a couple of minutes to realize that he'd been hearing cries and protests coming from his bedroom. Had the thug after Riley found his way into Con's apartment and attacked the teenaged girl again? He threw off the blanket he'd grabbed earlier and ran to the bedroom, grabbing his off duty pistol as he did. As soon as he flew into the room with Riley, the pistol went almost forgotten to the top of his dresser. His niece was being attacked all right but the attacker wasn't human. From her thrashing on the bed, it was clear the nightmare she was locked into was a bad one. He needed to wake her before she caused further harm to herself but what was the best way? Would she hear him if he spoke to her or should he try to take her in his arms to comfort her? In the end he'd tried both but neither seemed to pull her out the nightmare's grip. All he could do was hold her tightly to prevent her from hurting herself until at last the dream played out and she stilled in his arms without awaking. Sensing she was now okay, he'd kissed the top of her head and settled her back under the covers before returning to the couch._

_His sleep didn't last long before her nightmares once more pulled him from his sleep and he was back at her side trying to break the vicious hold her dreams seemed to have on her. Once again she didn't awaken even after the nightmare had ended but this time he'd continued to sit by her side for about thirty minutes to make sure her rest seemed untroubled. Finally convinced she was okay, he yet again went back to his own uncomfortable bed. This time he was able to get a couple of hours of his own troubled sleep before he found himself a third time at her side. _

_Her nightmares troubled him; were all of her nights this troubled or was this just another nasty side effect of the rapid stop of taking the antidepressant? He remembered that she'd said something about horrible dreams the night before but this seemed worse than just horrible. He hoped that if what she was currently going through had been that bad at home, that his parents had been supportive and hadn't just let her suffer them alone. Once she was once more settled, and he'd returned to the couch, sleep alluding him for the longest time as he waited with bated breath to see if there would be a fourth time. It wasn't until he awakened to the sun streaming into the living room and a protesting back that he realized that he'd gotten any sleep at all._

He shut off the shower before he used up all the hot water and quickly dried off and dressed. He wished that he'd thought to start the coffee before he had grabbed his shower. Never had he faced a morning so in need of caffeine as he was this morning. Mentally he did the math of how long it would take the coffee to brew if he started it as soon as he finished getting dressed and wasn't sure his body could wait that long for the wake-up call the hot liquid would give him. As he began to shave, he could hear Riley rattling around the kitchen and knew his niece was also awake. As he made his way into the kitchen he could smell the coffee brewing and was grateful that Riley had gotten it started.

She was standing at the counter when he approached and he could see she was lost in thought, toying with the pill bottle. Was she still upset about the night before? When he had made the decision not to hide the pain pill in her shake, he had raked the crushed pill into the garbage and thought it was all done for. He should have known that she would notice the fine white residue that had remained on the counter; she'd always had a great eye for details. Even as a small child she'd been able to take one look at those pictures that asked kids to pick out things that were wrong with the image and instantly spot almost every one of the mistakes. Coming up behind her he pressed a quick kiss to the side of her temple.

"Morning Darling. Thanks for getting the coffee started."

She nodded absently, her attention still firmly locked on the prescription bottle. He kept an eye on her as he reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out the largest mug he owned. It was so large that over half the pot was gone by the time he filled the mug. He took a cautious sip instead of the gulp he really wanted to take; a burned tongue would not be the most pleasant way to wake himself up. His eyes got wide as the taste registered on his taste buds.

"Riles, how did you do this? This tastes just like the brew your mom used to make; I thought her secret recipe was lost forever."

For just a moment, Riley's face lit up with pleasure, the bottle of pills temporarily forgotten. "You really think it's like hers? I knew I had gotten pretty close but I couldn't be sure I'd gotten exactly right."

Con took another drink, savoring the taste before he swallowed. 'It might have been two years since I had her coffee but the taste of it is forever engrained in my memory. This is it to a T. I didn't think she'd share that recipe with anyone. I used to joke that I was going to send a sample of her coffee to the crime lab to have it analyzed - at least until she threatened to never make it for me again."

A fat tear ran down her cheek but she didn't brush it away. "She didn't tell me. I've been working on getting it right since she died; simple trail and error until I got close enough. I felt bad about you having to sleep on that sleeper sofa last night; it couldn't have been the most comfortable mattress, so I wanted to do something special for you this morning. I'm just glad you had all the spices I needed."

Con's head whipped around to look at the cabinet that housed the various bottles of spices and herbs that he sometimes tried to use when being experimental in the kitchen. "You made this using things I already had in the apartment? Now, I'm more impressed than ever." He raised the mug to his lips for another drink, watching as her finger slowly traced the circle of the pill cap. She seemed to be struggling with something and then it hit him that it had nothing to do with the pill he'd thought about slipping her the night before.

She'd thrashed around pretty good during her nightmares before he could get his arms around her to comfort her each time. He wasn't sure if she was even aware of the dreams that had plagued her sleep but he was pretty sure she was feeling the effects this morning. The fact that she hadn't woken up with the dreams suggested that they might have been more night terrors than actual nightmares. But the cause of the dreams didn't really matter, the damage they had caused was done. Despite her protests about not wanting to take the medication, she was struggling with the pain that was becoming unbearable.

Reluctantly setting his mug on the counter, he took the bottle from her and opened it and shook one tablet out into his hand. He held it out to her. "I can't say I understand this thing you have about medicine but I promise you it won't hurt you. In fact, letting the pain get out of control is much worse than any side effect this painkiller would have on you."

Her hand hovered over the pill about to give in and take the offered relief. Her hand was shaking and he could almost feel the battle she was waging with herself. He didn't move but gave her the time to struggle with whatever inner demons were keeping her from accepting the help the medication would give her. Suddenly she pushed away from the counter and raced to the bathroom. He returned the pill to the bottle and followed her to the closed door. He could hear the sounds of retching coming from inside and knew she was throwing up. With a sigh, he gave her her privacy and returned to the kitchen.

She returned a couple of minutes later looking completely miserable. He wrapped his arms around her, hating to see her so upset. She hiccupped slightly which then turned to a groan of pain. "Uncle Con, have you ever known that something was right but no matter how much you knew it, couldn't bring yourself to do it? Logically I know I should just take the stupid pill and let it dull the pain but I just can't bring myself to do it."

Honestly, Con didn't understand how phobias worked and he suspected that what she was dealing with was exactly that. He'd been the same way with most of Mickey's phobias as well. He didn't have to comprehend why certain things sent them into an unreasonable blind panic to see that, for them, the fears were quite real. "Why don't you tell me what about taking it scares you so much; maybe we can work out a compromise you can handle?"

She shrugged with her uninjured shoulder. "I don't really know. I just can't shake the fear that if I take something, it's going to change who I am; make me become someone I'm not. I know that sounds really weird but I'm not talking about some sort of physical change like Dr. Jekyll and Hyde but that it's going to change the way I act or think. Given the way I reacted while unknowingly being fed the Cymbalta, maybe I've been right about that fear."

"Antidepressants are supposed to alter your brain's chemistry a little and the side effects are suppose to get better as the medication helps whatever was going on in the brain to make a person depressed to start with. Most medications are like that though. The most that pain pill is going to do besides alleviate some of the pain you are having is make you a little drowsy. I'm curious though, how old were you when this phobia began?"

Riley sniffled a little. "I don't know, maybe when I was ten."

Con did the math and nodded. Gina and Mickey had never tried to shield Riley from Mickey's problems but perhaps they had misunderstood just how much a small child really understood about things. Riley had been ten the summer that Mickey had tried to go off his antidepressants suddenly after receiving yet another scathing recrimination from Conrad Riley, Sr. about how he wasn't being fair to his family. The sudden stop of medication had been almost disastrous for Mickey. It wasn't a stretch to think an innocent ten year old had placed the blame for what happened with Mickey during that time on the medication and had developed an unhealthy fear of all drugs. Knowing the cause, however, didn't change the current dilemma.

"Your dad had some pretty bad phobias himself but there were times that no matter how scared he was of something he still had to do it. How did he get past his fears long enough?"

Again the one arm shrug. "He just suffered through the panic attacks and the shaking and did it I guess. I don't know if I'm strong enough though."

Now Con scoffed. "Don't ever believe that about yourself, Darling. Gina and Mickey were two of the strongest people I have ever known - and I know lots of strong people, and there is no way any child they produced together could be anything but strong. Here's the thing though, maybe you don't really need a prescription painkiller. I have a brand new bottle of ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. Now six of those pills wouldn't come close to helping me with the kind of pain I know you are experiencing. But since you aren't accustomed to taking anything, I bet one or two of those pills would knock the edge off your pain enough to help you cope with the rest, Plus, you'd be less likely to suffer bad side effects. What do you say? Can you try it?"

She nodded ever so slightly and Con kissed her forehead before retrieving the medicine and a bottle of water. He made a point of opening it in front of her and shaking a couple of pills into her opened palm. It was a painful process watching her actually take the medication. The way she gagged and had difficulty swallowing the pills reminded him of when she was four years old and Gina forced her to eat all of her Brussels sprouts before she could leave the dinner table.

He smiled reassuringly at her, remembering what Gina would tell her after she'd finally forced the dreaded vegetables down. "See, the earth didn't open up and swallow you whole."

"Yet." Riley grumbled but smiled slightly as she seemed to recognize the words as well. "I guess I should go get dressed. What time are we supposed to be at the Hardys?"

"We should probably get over there by nine or so. Laura Hardy is a great cook; breakfast will be a treat. Maybe not quite the caliber of chef your mother was, but infinitely better at it than I am."

Despite saying she was about to go get dressed, Riley stood there and looked at him for a moment, an odd expression on her face. Con raised a questioning eyebrow. "What is it?"

"You talk about Mom so easily; it's almost like she's still here."

Her words cut into him like a sucker punch. He hadn't even stopped to think that brining up Gina so often might be painful to Riley. "I'm sorry, Riles. It's just that she's the best thing we have in common that I guess I keep trying to bridge the gap between us somehow. If it hurts…"

She quickly shook her head, cutting him off. "No, it's nice. Memories of Mom are all I have left and it makes me feel like she's still close when we talk about her. Gram and Gramps will do it on occasion but it's always more of a reverent, treat her like a saint rather than a real person, kind of event."

Con couldn't help but laugh out loud at her comment. "I loved your mother; you know that; but she was about as close to being a saint as I am to being picked to be Brad Pitt's body double in his next movie. She would be the first to agree with me. I could tell you stories from when the two of us were growing up that would almost horrify you."

Riley grinned but then looked a little wistful. "Will you? I mean, not right now cause I know we need to head to Frank and Joe's but maybe later?"

His eyes softened at the thought of how desperate she was to hold on to any memory of her mother and he gave her a wink. "Of course I will Darling, or at least the ones where the statute of limitations have run out. There's one or two escapades that I might could still be prosecuting for if my involvement in it came out."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Riley pushed her empty plate away. "Mrs. Hardy that was delicious. Thank you for inviting us over."

Laura smiled at the sixteen-year-old. She wasn't sure what had happened in the last twenty four hours but the teenager seemed more relaxed and much happier than she had seemed just the day before. Even Con who had been so worried about taking care of Riley seemed to have taken to the job with ease. "You are so welcome, Riley. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wasn't sure about those waffles. They always look so much fluffier on the package than what I'm able to create."

"Next time add some club soda just before you put them in the waffle maker. The carbonation will make them fluffier." Riley suggested, then blushed. "My mom was a chef. Sometimes I would just sit in the kitchen and watch her cook."

"That's where I picked up most of my cooking skills as well but my mother wasn't an expert. Do you like to cook?"

Riley shifted in her chair a little uncomfortably. "Some," she admitted finally. "I think I was better at following in Dad's footsteps with the computer than Mom's in the kitchen but she managed to teach me a few things. Mom always said that developing a recipe was like putting together a puzzle; the more difficult the picture, the more rewarding the outcome and I really love putting together puzzles. The problem is finding someone to help me in the kitchen; I can't handle recipes that call for cutting up ingredients."

Frank remembered from the article he'd read about the murder that Gina Davis had been killed with a kitchen knife. He wondered if that had anything to do with Riley's lack of knife skills. Before his mother could press the issue and force Riley into an uncomfortable conversation, he turned to Con. "So Con, did your sister share any of her culinary skills with you?"

The burly cop rolled his eyes. "I've been accused on occasion of using the smoke detector as a kitchen timer, so I guess the answer to that would be no. When I first moved to Bayport, Gina put together the best cookbook for me - it consisted of menus and phone numbers of every restaurant in the city. I've put it to good use over the years and have updated it as needed."

Frank exchanged a look with Joe; it had been difficult sitting through breakfast and not asking the questions about the case that have been building since they first met Riley. Now that breakfast was over, it seemed like a good time to start working on the case. "Riley, Con told us last night that your dad was a computer programmer. Do you know anything about his business?"

She nodded. "Dad was the best when it came to creating software programs but he was pretty lousy at the business aspect of running his own company. As soon as I was old enough, he taught me how to help out with the bookkeeping and then with some of the simple programming jobs. When he was arrested, I had to terminate some of his contracts but some of the less complicated ones I kept opened. I've been maintaining the programs on my own. One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, someone is going to figure out Dad is innocent and he's going to be released from jail. I wanted him to still have a company to come back to."

Joe explained Frank's theory that maybe Gina's death was related to Mickey's company but left out the thought that Mickey might have confessed because he blamed himself. "It would be nice if we could get a list of his clients and what he might have been working on."

Riley nodded. "If you have a computer, I can remote access the company website and get you anything you need."

Frank grinned. "My computer is upstairs."

The three teens rose and started to leave the kitchen when Riley paused. "Mrs. Hardy, you did all this fabulous cooking. I should help you clean up before I run off to play on the computer."

Con reached and gave her good hand a squeeze. "Go on, Darling. This is a little more than just playing on the computer. I may have trouble boiling water without burning it but I can wash a plate or two. I'll help clean up while the three of you see if you can figure out a connection."

He waited until Frank and Joe had led Riley upstairs before he turned to Laura. She smiled sympathetically. "I have to say I'm a little surprised, Con."

The tips of Con's ears turned red. "Why because I admitted that I can wash dishes?"

Laura chuckled warmly. "No, Fenton and the boys gave up a long time ago trying to convince me that men are incapable of cleaning a kitchen. I mean you and Riley. When Frank and Joe came home last night, they said they thought things were a little tense between the two of you. Frank said you asked Riley if she'd rather stay here with us. It looks like the two of you patched up your differences."

Con shrugged. "We're working on it at least." Briefly he told her about the antidepressants and the effects the sudden withdrawal seemed to be having on Riley. Laura listened patiently.

"If she's been off of them for five days, the effects should start lessening soon. How horrible for her, Con. No offense, but why would your parents do that to her?"

He shook his head. "I don't know but I don't think she'll ever trust them enough to go back with them. They're not going to be happy about it and they're probably going to fight me tooth and nail but I have to fight for her, Laura. I don't care if it costs me my job, my reputation, and every cent of money I have. I know you have contacts through your Red Cross work. Do you know the name of a good family attorney who would help me petition for custody?"

Laura nodded. "Milton Brewer is the best. I've worked with him on benefits before and I'm sure he'd be glad to help. Would you like me to call him for you?"

Con nodded gratefully as his cell phone rang. He reached for it and groaned as he read the caller ID. He flipped the phone open and put it to his ear. "Hi, Dad. What can I do for you?"


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Here's the next chapter. If anyone out there reading this is a chef, I hope I got the knife terminolgoy right in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Family Loyalties

Chapter 8

Riley followed the brothers up the stairs to Frank's bedroom. As the three gathered into the bedroom with the door left open, she eyed his computer with an appreciative eye. "Nice set-up you have here."

Frank shrugged but was secretly pleased. His computer was his pride and joy, much the way he knew Joe felt about their van. Every spare moment or dime he had went into the upgrades to the computer. "I'm sure it's nothing compared to what your dad had for his business."

She shook her head as she waited for him to boot up the computer. "This isn't much different than what he had; he just had a few more computers at his disposal. His secret was the programs that were on the computer rather than the system itself."

Once Frank had logged into the computer, he moved out of the way and allowed Riley to have his computer chair. The way the teenaged girl's one hand flew over the keyboard, to the mouse, and back to the keyboard made Frank feel like his own typing skills more closely resembled Joe's version of hunting and pecking at the keyboard. In no time she had her father's website up and was logging into the private account. Her eyes never left the screen.

"Okay, here's the list of accounts Dad was working on when Mom died. The ones highlighted in yellow are the ones I'm still maintaining in order to keep the contracts current. "

Looking over her shoulder, Frank scanned the list but nothing at first seemed to stand out to him. Then he pointed out several in the list that seemed to have a different extension on them. "What are these? They look different from the other accounts."

Riley nodded. "Dad had several accounts that he wouldn't let even me help on; he kept them password protected. Before you ask, I can hack into just about any place you want me to if it has any vulnerability to it at all but I can't hack my dad's files. His system is protected by his own program and it's impenetrable. I can pull up basic information about who the account is with and what kind of program they requested but I can't access the actual account."

"Anything you can tell us might help." Joe assured her. He was completely out of his element with all the computer talk but didn't want to be out of the investigation completely. Riley bit her lower lip as she pulled up the information she could about the requested accounts. She scanned the information quickly.

"Most of them are government contracts that he swore an oath of confidentiality on. I only know of their existence because I helped Dad set up the accounts in the first place. I don't think there was anything with them that would upset anyone though. He was working on a decryption program of the Department of Defense and a surveillance program for Homeland Security. Those were national government contracts but he was also working with the New York DMV on a protection program that would strengthen their database against hackers."

Frank nodded and continued to look at the list of accounts. Something at the bottom caught his eye. He pointed out one listing that was almost hidden as the writing and background were almost the same color. "What about this one?"

Riley frowned and tried to access the program. "I've never noticed it before." Her fingers flew over the keyboard once again as she tried to pull up the same information she had from the other accounts. When the "ACCESS DENIED" script appeared on the screen, she frowned and tried to backdoor her way into the information. That failed as well. "Weird. I've always been able to get into the billing files at least; like I said, Dad was terrible at the business aspect of running his company so he depended on either Mom or me to take care of the more mundane aspects of the job. This entire file is completely blocked off. Let me try one more thing."

Again she went silent and focused solely on the computer. Her eyes narrowed on the screen. At last she shook her head. "I can't access it. Dad not only has it password protected but he also used his strongest encryption program on it. If I tried to hack the program, I would unleash a virus that would destroy the entire file. I don't understand why Dad would have that much security just on the billing file."

Frank shook his head. "You don't lock an empty room. There's something about this client that your father wanted to keep secret. It could be completely innocent or it could be what led to your mother's death. Without knowing who the client is, there's not much we can do. Joe and I have a friend who's also really good at computers; would it help for us to call him?"

Riley stared at the computer as if it were personally thwarting her. "Give me five minutes and I can hack into the White House computers and tell you exactly what the President of the United States had for supper last night and at what time he closed his eyes to go to sleep. Another ten minutes later I could bring up top secret satellite images of the latest Navy Seals missions. If it can be hacked, I can hack it. This file cannot be hacked. Not here at least."

"If not here, then where?" Joe inquired.

"If I were on the home computer, I could possibly back door the encryption program but I would still need the password and that's pretty much asking for the impossible. If you wanted to get Dad on his soap box, ask him about the problem with most people's passwords. He would complain that people made it easy to hack into their programs by making their passwords too obvious. Did you know that the most commonly used password in the United States is _password_? He also would complain that people made the mistake of writing their passwords down so they wouldn't forget them which made them easy for thieves to find them. I can guarantee you that Dad's password is at least fifteen characters that includes letters, numbers and symbols and that he didn't write it down anywhere. The only one who would know that password is Dad himself."

Frank and Joe exchanged a look. They had worked cases together often enough that they didn't need words to communicate. With this particular glance, it was clear that they were determining their next move. If Mickey was the only one who knew the password, then they would have to talk to the source himself. But would he agree to see them given that he refused to see his own daughter?

"Using the home computer would mean you would have to go back to Cloverton. Would you be willing to do that?"

"If it gets us closer to finding who really killed my mother and getting my father released, then yes. But it's not going to do us any good without the password."

Joe smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry about the password. Frank and I will handle that. For now, can we ask you a few questions about the murder itself? They might not be easy."

Riley twisted in the chair so that she was facing them. "Not much of anything has been easy the last two years. Questions can't hurt any worse than living the reality of the situation has. What do you need to know?"

Joe pulled a straight back chair close while Frank perched on the edge of his bed. "Think back to the night of the murder. Was anything odd going on?"

Riley shook her head. "No, it was as ordinary as every other day was. Mom was working on a new recipe for the restaurant. Some sort of shrimp stuffed Rigatoni dish she wanted to introduce. It was bugging her because she felt like she was missing some integral ingredient that was going to elevate the dish to some sort of new level. Dad had joked to her that he sort of hoped that she never perfected it because he and I were getting to sample all of her failed attempts. That night's attempt she'd tried marinating the shrimp in barbeque sauce and then mixing it with a ricotta cheese."

Frank was impressed once again with how detailed she was in her descriptions. He'd noticed it the day before when she described the man who had chased her. "How about your dad? Did he seem nervous or upset about anything?"

This time Riley hedged her answer but then remember what Joe had told her the day before about only being able to help her if she were completely honest with them, she nodded just a little. "Something had made him mad earlier in the day but he wouldn't tell us what. He would just tell us that a client wanted him to do something he wasn't willing to do and that he'd had to terminate a contract. He wouldn't go into details so I don't know anything else. It could have something to do with the encrypted file on the computer or it might have been another. I didn't think anything about it. People seemed to think because he could hack into any program they could hire him to do so in order to get revenge on a boss or to find dirt on a spouse or something like that. He'd always turn them down. Dad might have been a master hacker but he only used his powers for good. To find weaknesses in programs so that he could help plug them. I guess I just figured it was another one of those cases."

"Who discovered your mother's body?" Joe inserted, hating to sound so insensitive but knowing there was no way to really soften the question.

"Dad. I heard him screaming from my bedroom and ran downstairs. I found sitting in the middle of her blood on the kitchen floor cradling her body close to his. Her favorite chef's knife was on the floor beside her and the blade was covered with blood. I could see she was clutching something in her hand but it wasn't until the paramedics arrived and pried it from her fingers that I recognized it as her deveining knife."

She ran her uninjured hand up and down her arm to ward off the sudden chill the memory had caused her. Frank reached over and gave her knee a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry we had to bring those painful memories back up for you."

"For months after that day the image would haunt my dreams. Sometimes my screams would wake me up and other times it wasn't until morning when I woke up with a raw and scratchy throat that I realized I had been screaming in my sleep again. The dreams got better and pretty much completely disappeared until a few months ago when they started back full force. So the two of you didn't bring up bad memories; they stay with me all the time. Maybe that's one of the reason why I need answers so much; if I know the truth, maybe I can exorcise those demons for good."

"Even if the answers aren't the ones you want, Frank and I are going to do everything we can to get them from you."

"How?" Riley almost demanded, wiping away a stray tear that memories of her mother's death always seemed to draw out of her. "I haven't really given you anything to work with and we hit a brick wall with looking into Dad's business."

Frank once again exchanged a quick look with Joe and then returned his focus back to Riley. "Simple, we'll get your father to give us the password."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

"_You won't get away with this." _

"Won't get away with what, Dad?" Con forced himself to keep his voice light and almost cheerful even though he really wanted to unleash all his building anger and resentment over the way his parents had treated Riley at his father. It was difficult to rein in his anger but he didn't want to tip his hand until he knew for sure what his father wanted. "Is something wrong?"

"_We know she's there with you. We heard it from a reliable source. You shouldn't have gotten involved, Conrad. It's none of your business."_

Con couldn't help but wonder who their reliable source was. The only ones who knew that Riley was with him were the Hardys and Mickey. He doubted Laura or the boys even knew how to get in touch with his parents or that they would contact them if they did. He couldn't see his parents consenting to talk to Mickey long enough to get any information out of him. "She's my niece, Dad. That makes it my business."

"_Your mother and I are leaving for Bayport within the hour. We are going to bring Riley home where she belongs."_

Laura had grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and scribbled a quick note. He read it and gave her a nod of understanding. Giving his shoulder a pat, she left the room. Con returned his focus to the conversation before him. "Dad, Riley is pretty upset with the two of you. She's not going to go home with you and you are only going to make things worse if you try to force her."

"_She's a child and she's not completely well. She doesn't know what's right for her. Your mother and I are her guardians and we will decided what is best for her. Do not compound your problems by making this difficult."_

Con could feel his blood pressure rising as his anger toward his parents escalated. "Really, you know what's best for her? Slipping pills she doesn't want to take and that aren't even recommended for someone her age into her food is what's best for her? Seriously? I'm sorry Dad. I let you bully me into not standing up for her the last time; I'm not going to do the same this time."

"_We warned you last time what would happen if you tried to fight us. Can you really afford the trouble?" _His father's voice was cold and calculating. It was clear he was not used to being challenged.

"More so than she can afford the misery you and Mom are causing her. Listen to reason, Dad. We don't have to make this into a battle. Riley, despite how you've tried to poison her against me, wants to stay with me. If you love her the way I know you do; let her be happy."

"_Children do not get to dictate the major issues of their lives. It is the reason they have guardians in the first place. As I said, your mother and I will be there shortly. Do not make this any more difficult than it has to be. Have Riley ready to return home with us when we get there." _

His father disconnected the call. Con hung up his own phone and cursed. Seeing that Laura had returned to the kitchen he apologized for his language and buried his head in his hands. She replenished his coffee and sat beside him. "I take it the conversation didn't go well."

Con shook his head but didn't look up. "My parents are on their way to pick up Riley. They don't care if she wants to go with them or not." He sat up and fiddled with the piece of paper on the table. "Did you get in touch with Brewer?"

Laura nodded. As soon as she had realized who Con was talking about she'd written him the note that she was going to go call her lawyer friend. "I explained the situation and he's willing to do what he can. He's in his office now and said he could meet with you right away. Con, you realize this could be a nasty custody battle don't you?"

He nodded and looked at her with a determination he hadn't felt in a long while. "I know that. I also know there's no guarantee I'll win but I gotta try. I owe it to Gina to make sure Riley is okay. I owe it to that little girl upstairs to show her she's worth the effort. Do you mind if she stays here while I go talk to the lawyer? My dad said they were leaving within the hour which probably means they were heading out the door as soon as he hung up the phone. That gives me less than two hours before they get here to work something out so she doesn't have to leave."

Laura nodded. "Go on. She'll be fine."

He pushed himself up from the table and then looked down at the dishes in dismay. "I promised I'd help you clean up the kitchen…"

"Go." Laura repeated but this time make it sound more like an order. "I can handle the clean up just fine on my own. Call if you need us to do anything."

Con promised and left. Laura waited a few minutes before rising to clean off the table. She could only hope that Milton would have good news for Con.

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Two hours later, Laura had not only cleaned up the remains of brunch but had prepared a light lunch knowing it was only a matter of time before her growing boys claimed to be hungry once more. She hadn't heard anything from Con and wasn't sure in this case if no news was good news. She hoped with Riley being here that her grandparents would be stymied in their attempts to collect her long enough for Con to finish talking with Milton Brewer.

"Hey Mom, where's Con?" Frank asked as he and Joe entered the kitchen. Laura looked around, expecting to see Riley as well but the teenaged girl was nowhere to be seen.

"He had an errand to run. Where's Riley?"

This time it was Joe who answered. "She's taking a nap on Frank's bed. Between her injuries and the memories she had to relieve because of our questions, she was wiped out. Is it okay if Frank and I drive up to Dulcer after lunch. We want to try to talk to her father if he'll agree to see us."

"I don't mind but you might need to put off the trip for a little while." She explained about the phone call Con had received from his parents earlier. "They are determined to take her back to Cloverton whether she wants to go or not. They should be here any minute. I know Con doesn't want to turn her over to them but since they currently have custody, he might not have a choice until he can go to court for a new hearing. Riley might need some friendly faces around."

Joe shook his head. "I don't get it. Frank and I have had our differences with Con in the past but he really is a great guy. To hear Riley talk about her mom, she must have been pretty special. How did they turn out so great if their parents are so whacked?"

"Maybe they really believe they are going the right thing even if they are misguided." Frank argued. "I can't believe they are evil enough to not care if they are hurting Riley. Perhaps if Riley explains how much she doesn't want to go home with them, they'll relent."

Laura didn't look convinced but she didn't respond. She recommended that the three of them go ahead and eat their lunch and let Riley sleep while she could. Halfway through the meal, the doorbell pealed through the house. Laura got up to answer it with her sons on her heels. An older man and woman, impeccably dressed and looking rather imposing stood on the opposite side of the threshold. She could immediately see the family resemblance between them and their officer friend.

Conrad Riley, Sr. held out his hand and introduced himself. "I had a feeling since we told our son that we were coming that we wouldn't find him at home. We also had a feeling he would come here for help hiding our granddaughter. Is Riley here?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to lie to them but she saw Con pull into the driveway and decided to let him handle the situation. She could immediately see by his expression that the news wasn't good. "Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?"

The elder Rileys turned to face him. His father frowned. "I told you were coming. Did you really think you could get away with hiding her from us?"

"She doesn't want to go home with you. She doesn't trust you anymore and I can't say I blame her. Don't put her through this." Con almost pleaded with them. Since he wasn't putting up much of an argument, Laura decided that Milton hadn't been able to offer him an immediate solution.

Con's father turned back to Laura. "We will be taking our granddaughter now. Please get her for us or we will be forced to call the police and have her forcibly removed."

Seeing Con nod that it was okay, Laura cut her eyes toward Joe who seemed to be having a harder time controlling his anger at the newcomers. "Joe, go up and wake Riley, please."

A few minutes later, Joe came back to the door looking a little panicked. "Riley is gone. I can't find her anywhere."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: I have started and restarted this chapter I don't know how many times now. I knew where I wanted to go with it but the how to get there took a little longer. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: not mine

Family Loyalties

Chapter 9

Riley woke up and as seemed to be the case so often the last few days was confused as to where she was. Blinking back the sleep, she looked around the room, trying to remember where she was and what had been happening when she'd drifted off to sleep. She was in someone's bedroom, that much she was sure of but it wasn't her own or any of the other bedrooms she'd woken up in during the past couple of days. Gingerly she eased off the bed and looked closer at the contents of the room. Her eyes fell on the computer on the desk and the chair in front of it. The picture used as wallpaper on the screen that showed Frank and Joe Hardy and four other teenaged boys during what appeared to be a camp out filled in the missing pieces of where she was. The two detectives had been asking her questions about her mother's death when she must have drifted off to sleep in the comfortable chair lulled into the doze probably by a combination of the fitful sleep she knew she'd had the night before, the ibuprofen she'd taken earlier, and a full stomach from brunch. One of the brothers must have transferred her to the bed so she'd be more comfortable.

She wasn't sure how long she'd slept but she figured it was time to head downstairs to find the others. She didn't want to worry anyone any more than she probably already had. Hearing voices coming from the kitchen, Riley headed in that direction. As she got closer she could make out the actual words that were being said. She stopped just outside the kitchen as she realized they were talking about her.

"…I know Con doesn't want to turn her over to them but since they currently have custody, he might not have a choice until he can go to court for a new hearing. Riley might need some friendly faces around."

Her heart started to pound so fast in her chest that she almost missed Joe's returning comment. "I don't get it. Frank and I have had our differences with Con in the past but he really is a great guy. To hear Riley talk about her mom, she must have been pretty special. How did they turn out so great if their parents are so whacked?"

"Maybe they really believe they're doing the right thing even if they are misguided." Frank's was the next voice to come floating out of the kitchen. "I can't believe they're evil enough to not care if they're hurting Riley. Perhaps if Riley explains how much she doesn't want to go home with them, they'll relent."

Riley had heard enough to realize that somehow her grandparents had found her and were coming after her. Her initial fear, that little nagging voice that liked to remind her of how betrayed she'd felt last time, was to worry that perhaps Con had called them despite his promises to the contrary. But then she thought about what she'd heard Mrs. Hardy tell her sons. _Con doesn't want to turn her over to them. _She had to focus on that. Her uncle hadn't betrayed her trust; she had to believe that. She knew her grandparents enough to know that they wouldn't give up without a fight; and if it came to a fierce battle Con could stand to lose a lot. Was it fair to put him through that?

She felt caught between a rock and a hard place. If she stayed, she might have no choice but to return to Cloverton with her grandparents. However, if she gave in to that fight or flight response that was screaming at her to get as far away as she possible could before they arrived, she'd be breaking her word to her uncle. She stood in the hallway for several minutes, half expecting one of the Hardys to leave the kitchen and find her. With her good hand, she wiped away the tears of fear and frustration that pricked her eyes.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't blindly go back with her grandparents even if she thought it might only be temporary. Her stomach threatened to empty itself at the mere thought that they could once again start slipping her the antidepressants against her will. How could she trust any food they gave her? There was a limit to how long she could sustain a hunger strike. With a silent prayer that Con would understand and forgive her for breaking her word, she backed down the hall to the living room and let herself out of the house.

Riley started walking down the street, keeping an eye out for any familiar cars. Along the way, her mind whirled through possible plans of escape. Perhaps there was a way she could keep her word to Con and avoid having to return with her grandparents. An idea slowly forming in her mind, she took off in the direction of Con's apartment. It was slow going as her ribs were once more starting to throb. At one point she stopped at a stop sign, holding on to the metal for support as she caught her breath.

A vehicle slowed down beside her and for a moment she was afraid she'd been caught. It wasn't a familiar car or driver though. A teenaged boy rolled down the passenger side window. "Are you okay?"

She nodded wearily. He didn't look convinced however. "Do you need a ride somewhere? I know you don't know me any more than I know you but you look like you could use some help. I promise I'll keep both my hands on the wheel and I'll take you wherever you want to go."

She had no reason to trust him. It went against everything her parents had ever taught her about safety but she stepped away from the stop sign and opened the passenger door. She might have never met him before but she had seen his picture. He was one of the boys in the photograph on Frank's computer. If he was a friend of Frank and Joe's then he had to be someone she could trust, right?

He smiled at her. "My name is Biff. Yeah, I know, not a very common name."

Despite her fears and the pain she was feeling, Riley returned his smile immediately liking the young man who had stopped to help her. "Mine's not that common either. I'm Riley. I appreciate the ride."

"Not a problem. Where to?"

Riley considered her options. She didn't want him to be able to lead the Hardys straight to her but she didn't relish making her walk even longer. "You know the gas station near Milford Street?"

Biff nodded. "Yeah, they usually have the lowest gas prices in town. You sure that's where you want to go?"

"I'm meeting someone there." She assured him silently asking forgiveness for the lie. It was only a five minute drive, much quicker than she'd ever have been able to walk it and soon Biff pulled into the requested gas station. As soon as he stopped, Riley eased the door open and thanked him once more.

"Like I said; it was no trouble. In fact, if you want, I can wait with you until your ride gets here. I can almost hear my grandmother chewing me out for leaving a pretty girl stranded somewhere."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. I'm just going to use the restroom while I wait. Thanks again."

She walked toward the side of the building toward the bathrooms, expecting that Biff would pull off as soon as she was around the building. She didn't look back as she turned the corner. Instead, she headed straight to the apartment building Con called home. She let herself into his apartment using the key she'd borrowed the day before. She closed the door behind her and went straight to the computer.

It was her hope that if her grandparents believed she'd left Bayport, they would leave as well. It didn't take her but a minute to hack into the files of the bus line. Her eyes scanned the list of buses scheduled to leave within the next half hour and selected one at random. This wasn't the first system she'd ever hacked into but it was the first time she was choosing to leave a trace of her presence. With all the skills she'd learned at her father's knee, she added her name to a passenger list making it look like she'd purchased a ticket for a bus heading to New York City. That accomplished, she backed out of the system leaving no other evidence that she'd been there.

When the front door opened and closed behind her, she swiveled around in the chair, afraid once again that she'd been caught. Staring into the brown, almost black eyes that had bore their gaze into her every time she'd closed her eyes the last few days, she only felt afraid. The man who had beaten her leaned against the closed door, a predatory smile on his face. "I told you that you should've gone home."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Con Riley stared at Joe in dismay after the youngest Hardy had declared that Riley was missing. He wanted to hope that Joe was lying in an attempt to keep Riley from having to go with his parents, but knew it was useless. Joe looked genuinely concerned. Con swore. "How much of a head start are we talking about?"

Joe glanced at Frank for confirmation before responding. "Half an hour tops. I'm sorry, Con; she must have heard us talking and fled."

"This has gone on long enough, Conrad." Con's father warned, his voice tight. "You can't get away with hiding her."

Ignoring his father, Con focused on the two teenaged detectives instead. "Boys, I'm going to need your help tracking her down."

Laura turned to Frank. "Get my keys off the peg by the kitchen door. You can take my car while Joe takes the van. The three of you can cover more ground if you split up. I'll stay here in case she doubles back."

Frank nodded and went to retrieve the keys. Once he had them, he looked at Con. "How do you want to do this?"

Con sighed. "I'll take the bus station. My badge will get me more information than either of you would be able to get with your boyish good looks and charm. One of you head toward the mall and the other can head toward the airport. I doubt she's been able to get too far even if she has been gone for thirty minutes. She just doesn't know the city that well and her sore ribs will make traveling by foot difficult."

Conrad, Sr. grabbed Con's arm spinning him around to face him. His face was hard and cold. "I will not be ignored…"

"Dad, not now! Riley is missing and she could be in danger. I don't care what you want. I'm going to find my niece and I am going to fight the two of you for custody. I only wish I had had the guts to do it a long time ago. Now, get out of my way before I forget that you're my father." He turned back to the brothers. "Let's go."

Laura watched the usually agreeable officer and her sons head for their vehicles. She was pretty certain that if anyone could find the missing girl, it was the three of them but she was still worried about her. Frank and Joe had filled her in the night before about the guy who had beaten Riley up so she knew any time out on the streets alone could be dangerous. Reluctantly she turned her attention the couple still standing on her front porch.

"Would you like to come in? I could make us some tea while we wait."

Rebecca Riley forced a smile. "Thank you, that would be lovely. I'm sorry we are being such trouble to you. Riley is going through a bit of a rebellious time right now. Conrad and I had thought we'd put those difficult years of raising a teenager behind us when our kids grew up; I guess we've forgotten how challenging it can be."

As Laura led the way to the kitchen, she mulled over what Rebecca's words. She knew she and Fenton were very lucky. Frank and Joe might get into trouble while investigating the cases that came their way but they were otherwise remarkably well behaved; so were their girlfriends and best friends. Occasionally they stayed out past curfew and Laura was forced to worry about them but it was never for the same reasons that other parents worried about. If they were out late, she worried that they had somehow stumbled into danger from whatever mystery had fallen into their laps instead of if they were out drinking or partying with friends. And true, she didn't really know Riley other than the time she'd spent around her in the last twenty four hours, but the teenaged girl didn't strike her as the rebellious type. She seemed more like a scared, lost little girl who was trying to make sense of a world that had spun completely out of her control.

She filled a tea kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil. Then she sat down at the table with Con's parents. She didn't really know them but what she'd heard of their actions regarding their granddaughter left a bad taste in her mouth. "I just met her yesterday but she doesn't seem rebellious to me. I think she's just lost and trying to understand a world that seems to have gone completely crazy on her."

Mr. Riley didn't seem interested in holding a conversation but Mrs. Riley was very agreeable. The elderly woman shook her head. "I don't blame Riley. After all the pain that man caused our family, who can blame the poor child for having difficulties relating to people. It was bad enough that he took our daughter's life but he couldn't be content with leaving it at that. No, he had to force a fourteen year old to see his cruel handiwork. Do you know that coroner strongly recommended that we not view Gina's body until the funeral home had finished their work? He said it would be too upsetting for us and that we didn't need that memory. But Riley wasn't given that consideration; _his_ selfishness made sure that the image of our beautiful daughter's dead body was forever ingrained in her memory. No wonder the poor child suffers from nightmares."

Laura didn't have an answer for that. She agreed that no child should have to witness such a heinous act but she wasn't as sure that all the blame should be placed on her father's shoulders. Con had mentioned that Riley had been plagued by nightmares the night before; while he hadn't elaborated on it, Laura had seen the pain in his eyes and the dark circles underneath them that told the whole story of just how disturbing it had been. The tea kettle announced that the water was ready and Laura stood to prepare the tea. Once she had three steaming mugs of tea ready, she returned to the table. "It must make for some pretty sleepless nights for the two of you getting up with her when she has them."

Mrs. Riley lifted the cup to her lips blowing across the liquid to cool it before taking a tentative sip. Setting the mug back to the saucer, she shook her head. "Oh, after the first couple of nights we didn't get up with her although it always woke us up. She never woke up with them and didn't even remember having them the next day so it just didn't make sense getting up and down every night. I'm just glad she didn't wake the neighbors."

Laura was horrified. If either Frank or Joe, or for that matter even Fenton, was having night terrors like what she was hearing described, there was no way she would be able to remain rooted in bed listening to the sufferer scream out the pain even if he wasn't aware of her presence. She'd tried to keep an open mind earlier when listening to Con talk about how his parents had treated Riley. She'd been a parent long enough to know that there were two sides to every story and that the truth usually lay somewhere in-between. Now though, she was starting to believe Con had been exactly right in his estimation of his parents. She pushed her mug away untouched; a bad taste suddenly filling her mouth. "Sometimes dreams are as much a reflection of how secure a person feels in their current situation as they are about past experiences. After all, there must be a reason Riley felt the need to run away from your home."

She knew that final barb wasn't appropriate and probably more than a little judgmental but she couldn't help herself from speaking up on Riley's behalf. The reaction in Mr. Riley was immediate. He stood and turned to his wife. "Come Rebecca, let's go. We'll wait for word from Conrad at that little diner near his apartment."

He turned back to Laura, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a check. He handed it to her and she saw that it was made out to Fenton in the amount of two hundred dollars. She gave him a quizzical look. His words were cold and unfriendly. "Tell your husband that is his bonus for letting us know where Riley was hiding."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Joe drove slowly up and down the city streets of Bayport heading in the direction of the mall keeping his eyes out for any sign of Riley Davis. Despite any sort of head start she might have had on them; they should be more than able to make up the time since they were in vehicles and she was on foot. He'd even stopped at the closest internet café since she seemed to be so good with computers. He'd been pretty proud of himself for thinking of the place; it was more of a place of interest for Frank or Phil than for him. But he'd come up empty there.

His cell phone rang and he reached for it, hoping it was news about Riley. The caller ID showed it to be Biff as he answered it, trying not to sound too disappointed. "Hey Biff, what's up?"

"_I'm watching something that's more up yours and Frank's alley than mine. I was heading home from the gym when I saw this girl walking down the road. She looked hurt and upset so I stopped and offered her a ride…"_

Hope once more surged through Joe as he interrupted his friend. "She wasn't by any chance about 16, short brown hair wearing black jeans and an oversized green pullover? Her left arm in a sling?"

"_You are way too freaky good with figuring things out, Joe. How did you know what she was wearing and all that?"_

"She's Con Riley's niece. I'm driving around looking for her right now. Where did you take her?" Joe pulled into a nearby parking lot until he had a better idea where he was going. He couldn't believe his luck. Of all the people who could have stopped to help Riley, he felt fortunate it had been on of his friends.

"_The gas station on Milford." _Biff paused a moment and then his voice sounded troubled. "_Officer Riley lives in the Oakhurst Apartments on Milford, doesn't he? That would explain a few things."_

Joe frowned. "Explain what things? She's okay, isn't she?"

"_She said she was meeting someone there but I felt bad about just leaving her at the gas station. It looked like someone had already used her as a punching bag and that's just wrong. I needed gas anyway so I hung around just to keep an eye out. That's when I noticed him. She was heading toward the bathroom and he was just watching her. I thought at first that he might be the person she was waiting for but something about him just seemed wrong. I got a bad feeling about him. That's when I noticed that instead of going into the bathroom, she was heading toward the apartments. Once she crossed the street, he started to follow her."_

Joe had a bad feeling as well. What if this was the guy who had followed her from Dulcer? Putting the van back into drive, he pulled out into the street heading toward Con's apartment. "Did he follow her up the stairs to Con's apartment?"

"_Nah, he came back and got in his car and moved it to a parking space over at the apartments. He got out and he's just sitting on the hood watching the building. I'm still in the parking lot of the gas station watching him. Maybe it's nothing but he just doesn't look like he's got friendly intentions."_

"He probably doesn't. He's more than like the person who did the punching. I'm heading there now but it's going to take me a few minutes to get there. Do me a favor and go up and check on her. Con's apartment is 3H."

"_Joe, he's gone. I looked down to get something to write on; I figured I'd write down his tag number just to be safe. I only looked away for a second and he's disappeared. I think he might have gone upstairs." _


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine

Family Loyalties

Chapter 10

Her heart pounding in her head, Riley looked at the man who had hurt her in Dulcer and then followed her to Bayport. She wanted to believe that she'd somehow fallen asleep and was now locked into some sort of nightmare that was currently presenting her with the person responsible for hurting. But she knew she was awake and not dreaming; this nightmare wasn't one she could wake up from. "How did you find me?"

He laughed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a large pocket knife which he flicked open with practiced ease. Riley's eyes automatically locked in on the sharp weapon. Her breathes came in labored gasps as instead of seeing the man in front of her, her mind supplied memories of her mother cradled in her father's arms, blood pooling beneath them.

"Wasn't hard." He admitted, seemingly unaware that her attention was now divided between the current threat and the visions of the past. His tone sounded more like a amiable conversation. "My brother's told me all kinds of things about you and your family. He has a way of sniffing out good marks and he had you made as a numero uno prime candidate for some of my finer talents. In fact, even if you hadn't shown up trying to see ya Daddy, I was going to come pay you a visit. Sweet little innocent teenaged girl with grandparents who are loaded; that's what I call real nice. Imagine my surprise when you came to me instead; course I wanted you to go home. Kind of hard to help myself to some of your grands' finer things if you aren't there."

It took a moment for his words to work through her scattered, distracted thoughts. Her eyes never left the pocket knife in his hand as she forced herself to answer him. "You want to rob my grandparents? That's why you beat me up and followed me here?"

"Oh, I have plans for you too, Little Girl. Having my way with you is just the icing on the cake. Now, come here." His voice went from sounding almost agreeable and friendly to downright cold and threatening.

Riley shook her head. She had already had a foretaste of the pain he could inflict upon her and wasn't prepared to get close enough to him to give him a second chance. His eyes narrowed and he wasted no time crossing to the couch and jerking her up by her hair. She gasped in pain and moved in his direction, not out of any want but out of desire to keep him from pulling her bald headed.

As he pulled her close to his body, one arm snaked around her waist and the other hand held the pocket knife loosely just under her chin. She could almost feel the sharp bite of metal against her skin. She was almost scared to breathe for fear that the knife would slice into her throat. She couldn't fight against him; he was stronger than she was and her injuries would make any attempt a laughable exercise in futility. If she wanted out of this mess, she'd have to use her brains instead of muscle.

"What are you going to do?" There was no faking the shakiness of fear in her voice.

His breath was hot on her neck as he answered her. "You and I are going to take a nice little trip to your grandparents' house. I'm going to help myself to some of their nicer things and then you and I will have some play time together. How much do you think I can make off their treasures?"

An idea slowly came to her. It was a long shot but it just might save her life. She thought about his question honestly even though it was hard to think of anything other than the blade at her throat. "Somewhere between ten to fifteen thousand if you find the right buyers."

He whistled softly. "Seriously? All that and you too? This is my lucky day."

She had a feeling she knew exactly what he had in mind for her and it caused a hard shudder run down her spine. Her fear threatened to get the better of her and cause her to sink into some dark corner of her mind that might protect her from what was happening to her now. But if she did that, she probably wouldn't survive the next twenty minutes let alone the next twenty four hours. "What if I could make your day even luckier?"

He laughed, the sound harsh and grating. "How you plan to do that, Little Girl?"

"What if I could guarantee you thirty thousand and all you have do to is walk into a bank and make a withdrawal?"

The pocket knife wavered just a bit. "I'm listening."

"I can use a computer to open an account for you at any bank of your choosing. Then I can hack into my grandparents' bank account and electronically transfer the money from their account to yours. Once it's done, you can walk into the bank and withdraw the money and close the account probably before my grandparents even know the money is missing."

He lowered the knife and spun her around to face him. "You really able to do that? Why would you?"

"It would be a piece of cake." She assured him. It really would but she didn't feel the need to add that First Federal Savings and Loan, the bank her grandparents used was one of the accounts that she'd kept open the last couple of years. Her father's own security system protected the bank. She could make the transfer but it would put up an immediate red flag at the bank and the authorities would be alerted. The police would be waiting the minute he tried to withdraw the money. "As for why, let's just say my grandparents aren't my favorite people right now. What do I care if they lose a bunch of money, especially if robbing them keeps me from being hurt? Cause that's the only way I'll do this; if you let me go unharmed."

He jerked his head toward the computer he saw on the desk on the other side of the room. "Do it."

She didn't trust him. There was no guarantee that he would let her go if she made the transfer. And even if she was certain the police would catch him if he tried to make the withdrawal she couldn't be certain of what shape she'd be in when they did. "My uncle's computer is a dinosaur; he's still using dial-up. I couldn't hack into the city's library system with that piece of junk. There's an internet café in town; let's go there and I can make the switch in about twenty minutes."

He stared at her for a full minute before nodding. "Okay, but if you try something, you'll bleed out in less time than you say it'll take you to do all that computer hocus pocus."

Opening the door, he put his arm around her waist again. This time the knife was at her back, out of sight of any prying eyes. Riley was literally shaking with fear; though he had agreed to her plan she didn't completely trust him to live up to his word. Each step down the stairs jarred her already sore muscles - the pain made worse by the tenseness she was feeling at the moment. She said a silent prayer that her uncle or even one of the Hardy brothers would suddenly appear in the apartment parking lot to rescue her.

It didn't appear likely that one of the three would appear in time to safe her as he dragged her down the final flight of stairs. Her attacker was getting impatient with how long it was taking her to move and was roughly pushing her forward. Just as they reached the last step, a figure stepped out from among the cars but it wasn't the person she'd hoped to see.

Biff Hooper, after talking to Joe, had raced over to the apartments. Joe had told him what apartment she'd been in so he'd been about to go up the stairs to help her when he'd seen them emerge from the apartment. Feeling it was safer to confront her attacker on solid ground rather than a stairwell, he'd remained hidden among the parked cars. Now that Riley and the man holding her captive had reached the ground level, he stepped out of his hiding spot. "Let her go."

Immediately, the knife was back at her throat pressing into the tender flesh. A trickle of blood appeared on her skin but it was obvious the cut wasn't serious - yet. "I don't think so. If you don't want me to kill her right here, right now, back off and mind your own business."

Riley could feel sting of the cut and knew that she was bleeding. The cut wasn't serious but suddenly the spots of darkness that had been threatening her vision since the appearance of her attacker got larger. She couldn't get enough air in her lungs so she started to try to suck in as much oxygen as she could. She sagged against her assailant's arm slightly; her weight causing his knife hand to pull away from her throat.

Biff didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. As soon as the knife was safely enough away from Riley's throat, he lunged at her attacker, catching him in the left cheek with a wicked right cross. Riley slumped the rest of the way to the ground still trying to take in as much air as possible and the now bloodied knife clattered to the ground next to her as Biff and the other guy began to fight in earnest.

Biff was good at fighting but it seemed so was the man he was battling. They were almost evenly matched so Biff was glad when Joe Hardy suddenly appeared to help him take down the bad guy. Between the two teenaged boys, they soon had the advantage over Riley's assailant. Joe delivered the final blow that knocked the guy senseless just as two more vehicles pulled haphazardly into the parking lot.

Con Riley jumped from his car and surveyed the scene before him. His mind had been working overtime since he'd gotten the call from Joe about what was happening. Each image of what could happen to his niece was worse than the one before so he sought her out first for reassurance that she was okay. Riley was sitting awkwardly on the ground, conscious but he could see the blood smear on her throat and the near panicked state she was in. Joe and his buddy Biff had subdued the assailant and for a moment he almost wished they hadn't where he could unleash some of his pent up fury on the guy. Reaching back into the glove box of his car, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs he kept there in case of emergencies. He tossed them to Joe.

"Make sure the scumbag doesn't get away." He knelt beside his niece. "Riles? You okay, Darling? So help me, if he hurt you…" he let his comment trail off as he wondered if she'd even heard him speak. She seemed locked into some sort of nightmare that made him wonder just what had happened before Biff and Joe had intervened. Forgetting that he was an officer, he lunged suddenly at the thug who was just starting to regain consciousness. He shoved him against the stair railing as Joe and Biff took a couple of surprised steps backward. "What did you do to her, punk?"

"N…N….Nothing," he promised, not completely coherent. "Sh…she was going with me willingly. I didn't hurt her."

Biff rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I always hold a knife to the throats of people who are going with me willingly."

Recognizing that Riley was hyperventilating and that it would only get worse if someone didn't calmly intervene, Frank knelt beside her. He gently took her head in his hands, being mindful of the bruises on her face, and turned her head to look at him. He willed his own breathing to be steady and calm. "Riley, you're safe now. I need you to breathe with me. In….out….in….out. You can do it, Riley. Just match my breathing."

Keeping his voice calm and quiet, Frank continued to offer her reassurances and to coach her breathing. She seemed to be ignoring him or at least not hearing him as her eyes stayed locked on the pocket knife lying on the ground beside her despite the hold he had on her head. Sensing it was what was upsetting her more than anything, Frank maneuvered his body so that he was blocking her view of the knife. She blinked a couple of times and then looked at him. Now that she was aware of his presence, he once more encouraged her to breathe with him.

After several minutes, the panic attack subsided and her breathing evened out. He flashed her a wan smile. "Better?"

She nodded slightly, still focusing on keeping her breathing from speeding up again. "He was just suddenly there. I didn't know what to do. I was so scared."

Instinctively, Frank released her head and wrapped his arms around her, comfortingly. "It's okay. Biff and Joe stopped him and he's going to go to jail. He won't be able to hurt you again."

"He was going to rob my grandparents and then I don't want to even think about what he had planned for me. He had a knife and all I could think of was that I was going to end up like Mom. I didn't want Con to come back home and find me lying in a pool of blood the way Dad found my Mom. There was so much blood. All over the floor, on her chef's knife, on Dad's shirt where he'd been holding her, her deveining knife. I didn't think the human body even had that much blood inside it." As she talked, her memories threatened to send her once more over the edge of hysteria.

"Whatever you did was great; it worked and you kept yourself safe until help arrived." He continued to reassure her until at last she relaxed against him.

Once more, Con knelt beside them, his hand on Frank's shoulder. The eighteen-year-old surrendered her to Con's waiting arm, knowing that uncle and niece needed each other at that moment. Frank stood and joined his brother and Biff. An officer had arrived to take Newman's brother into custody. Biff nodded toward Riley. "She okay?"

Frank shrugged. "I think she's just rattled. Who can blame her though? Thanks to you I don't think he was able to really hurt her."

After loading the suspect into the squad car, the uniformed officer approached the three teens. "I'm going to take him down to the station and book him. Tell Officer Riley to bring his niece in later to make her statement. She looks like she could use a little time to recover from her fright."

Frank nodded his thanks; glad that the officer wasn't going to force her to immediately give her statement. He wasn't sure she was emotionally strong enough for that right now. He glanced back over at Con and Riley. The burley officer had taken his handkerchief from his pocket and was dabbing at the small cut on her neck. "I'm sure Con will appreciate you giving her some time to recover a little before giving her statement. I'll give him your message."

After the officer pulled away with his prisoner in tow, Joe toyed with his cell phone. "I know I should call Mom and let her know that Riley is safe but I know if I do, it's going to clue in her grandparents as well. Is it wrong of me to not want them to know?"

"I can't find fault with it." Frank admitted. "I know I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt earlier but after meeting them; I think I gave them way too much credit."

Biff looked from one brother to the other, unaccustomed to hearing either one speak ill of an adult the way they currently were. "What's going on? Why wouldn't you want her grandparents to know she's okay? Are we talking about Con's parents or the other set?"

Frank quietly filled their friend in on what was going on. Biff shook his head. "Poor girl. She's been through more in the last couple years that most people experience in their entire lives. Is she going to have to go home with them?"

Joe shrugged. "It kind of looks like that way."

Oblivious to the conversation going on among the three teenagers, Con gave Riley a shaky smile. "I don't think it's a bad cut. I've probably done worse damage to myself a time or two shaving. When Joe called and told me you were in danger, I think I broke about every speed limit between the bus station and here. I was so afraid I wouldn't get here in time."

Riley's good hand was clutching his shirt tightly, as if she needed the reassurance of his close contact. Her eyes looked haunted but Con could live with that as long as she didn't start to hyperventilate again. He was glad that Frank had been able to talk her down from the panic attack; he wasn't sure he'd have been able to do the same. Even at that her small frame was still shaking. "I'm sorry, Uncle Con. I didn't want to break my word to you but the thought of going back to Cloverton with Gram and Gramps was something I couldn't handle."

Con pulled her close to him, being mindful of her injuries and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Silently he cursed his parents, wondering if they even realized how much they had hurt her. She'd survived the attack but he had a feeling she'd find his news just as distressing. "Darling, you know I want you to stay with me, don't you?"

She nodded. She might have doubted it when she first arrived in Bayport, but after they had cleared the air the night before, those doubts had erased from her mind. "I know it's asking a lot of you, but I promise I won't be any trouble to you."

"I know you wouldn't, Riles. I've talked to a lawyer- Mrs. Hardy says he's the best. He's going to do everything he can to help me win custody of you, but he says it could take some time. He's good but he's not a miracle worker. He could have something in place in a couple of days or it could take a couple of months, but until he gets something worked out, you'll have to go back with them."

"I understand." She whispered softly. He saw her lower lip begin to tremble before she hung her head.

With a sigh of frustration, he gently cupped her chin and forced her to look up but her eyes refused to meet his. "I'm really sorry, Riles. I know you don't want to go. I don't want you to go, but my hands are tied. It should only be temporary. I don't care if it takes every dime I have or will ever earn; I'm going to fight to get custody of you."

The one armed shrug that she gave him spoke volumes about her misery. "That's not fair to you. I don't want Gram or Gramps giving you a hard time because you are trying to help me. It would be better for everyone if I just went back with them like they wanted. They raised you and Mom and both of you turned out okay."

"Don't worry about me, Riles. Besides, I'm hearing the words but I don't think you believe them. What's really going on in that head of yours?"

"Uncle Con, I'm not strong enough to go back with them. I know I should be but I'm not. They want me to be someone I'm not and it scares me to think I could lose myself with the changes they want in me."

It hurt him terribly to hear her admit doubts about her strength. He wanted to reassure her that he wasn't going to let them take her anywhere, not even for a few minutes but he couldn't promise her something that he knew he couldn't deliver. It would only hurt her worse.

A new car pulled into the parking lot and Con groaned as he recognized his parents' car. He glanced over at the three boys who had also noticed the arrival of the older couple. Even Biff, who had never met his parents, narrowed his eyes and altered his body stance as if ready to fight again.

Conrad Riley, Sr. was the first to emerge from the vehicle. "I had a feeling you were trying to trick us into thinking Riley had run away again. You won't get away with this, Conrad. Riley, get in the car; we're going home."

"Dad, give her some time; she's had a bit of a fright." Con urged, hoping his parents would have at least a modicum of understanding.

Instead, his father frowned. "She can recover on the ride home. We still have a long drive ahead of us. I'd like to return to Cloverton before it gets dark. Riley, we've wasted enough time with this foolishness. Get in the car now."

Con's own frown was almost a perfect match for his father's as he gave Riley's arm a reassuring squeeze. "Frank, how about the three of you take Riles upstairs to my apartment. I need to have a word or two with my parents."


	11. Chapter 11

Author's notes: The case is going to become more of the focus of the story in the next couple of chapters but this chapter brings up some questions about it. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: still not mine.

Family Loyalties

Chapter 11

"There is nothing that needs to be said, Conrad." Rebecca insisted. Her eyes never left Riley as Frank wrapped a comforting arm around the teenaged girl as they, along with Joe and Biff, started up the stairs to Con's apartment. "Is Riley okay? She's wearing a sling. She wasn't wearing that when she ran away. What happened?"

Con sighed. Was she truly concerned or was she just looking for something to blame him for? "She was mugged a few days ago. I had her checked out by a doctor. She's going to be okay; mostly bruises. The same guy followed her here and tried to kidnap her today. Fortunately Joe Hardy and one of his friends stopped him."

He didn't think it was a wise move telling about Mickey's part in the attack. He knew his brother-in-law hadn't meant for harm to come to Riley but also knew his parents wouldn't see it the same way. "She's going to have to make a statement at the police station."

His father nodded. "We'll stop by there on our way out of town. As I said, we don't have time for all of this nonsense. I'm going to get her so we can go."

Con blocked his father's path, his arms crossed against his chest. "No, Dad. You are going to listen to me for once. I might not be able to stop you from taking Riley home with you but I'm sure as hell going to make sure she's going to be okay."

"Don't be so dramatic, Conrad; and watch your language around your mother. Of course she's going to be okay. You make it seem like we beat her or something equally monstrous. What do you take us for- monsters?" Conrad, Sr. folded his own arms across his chest and the two men stared at each other. They were the same height and had similar builds so their matching poses made one just seem like an older mirror version of the other. Realizing it looked absurd that they were standing there looking for all the world like they were about to duel, Con uncrossed his arms and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"No, Dad, I don't think you are monsters. I think the two of you have just totally forgotten what it is like to raise a teenage girl."

His father rolled his eyes and almost snorted. "This from the guy who's never been married or had children of his own. Do not stand there and presume to tell me how to raise a child as if you have any idea what it is like."

"Conrad," his mother reached out and touched his shoulder. "We don't have to fight. I get that you want to protect Riley; but life with us isn't as bad as she tries to make it seem. A teenager needs boundaries but don't always appreciate them when they are given. Riley is no different, although she might be just a little more emotional and over-the-top with her reactions."

"Is that why you were slipping anti-depressants into her food without her knowledge?"

A warm blush of red crept into his mother's cheeks. Con was glad to see it; the reaction suggested that possibly she knew what she had been doing was wrong. "The doctor prescribed them and she refused to take them. I used to do the same thing to you when you were little and refused to take your vitamins. Sometimes parents have to make the hard choices to do what's right for their children."

The knowledge that he'd been drugged, even with vitamins, against his knowledge as a child bothered him but he didn't let it sway him from his current argument. "Vitamins are one thing; they are sold over the counter and don't have dangerous side effects. We're talking about a drug that's not even recommended for people under eighteen because of the associated risks involved. Don't feed me this crap about the doctor prescribing them like it absolves you of anything. I know how Doc Pat works. If someone came in saying their child needed heartworm pills, he'd write the script. He would have twenty years ago, and now that he's older than Methuselah, I'm sure he hasn't changed. You went in and asked him to put her on the anti-depressants; didn't you?"

Con knew having this argument in the parking lot wasn't the best place, but he didn't want his parents to get any closer to Riley until he had said his piece. Fortunately, most of the tenants in the apartment were still at work so no one was around to see the altercation. His mother took a step backward and hung her head but his father closed the gap between them; standing almost nose to nose with his son.

"You don't know anything about what was going on…"

"Whose fault is that? You two were the ones who threatened me if I tried to visit." Con interrupted bitterly. His father continued on as if nothing had been said.

"She was avoiding social events, closing herself off to her friends. We weren't about to let her become like her father. Maybe if his parents had done more, our precious Gina would still be alive today…"

Con shook his head. "You don't know anything about Mickey's parents and what they did for him. Do you honestly think they didn't do everything they could to help him? He had an illness; but despite the toll it took on him, he was still managing to live a happy and successful life. Yeah, Riley might have inherited some of the same quirks Mickey had to deal with but at least her parents were open enough with her about them that she knows what's going on and how to handle them. Did you even ask her _why_ she was avoiding doing things with those so-called friends you selected for her? They were giving her a hard time about her parents and what happened. I'm an adult and I would have avoided them as well or, worse, used my fist to make it difficult for them to even open their big mouths for awhile."

He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Getting unreasonably upset would not help him win an argument with his parents. "Look I get the impulse of wanting to make choices for her when you think she's making the wrong one. Believe me, she's only been here twenty-four hours and I've had those same impulses. But in the end I knew I had to ignore those heavy-handed methods if I wanted her to trust me. You didn't and now she doesn't trust you. You think she's going to eat any food you put in front of her for a long while? She'll starve herself first. Is that what you want?"

"She's going home with us, Conrad. There's nothing you can do about it. We are protecting her by not letting her stay with you."

His father's words stung him. How could they think she needed protecting from him? "What's that suppose to mean? I would never hurt her."

Conrad, Sr. didn't answer but turned around to stalk back to the front of the car, breathing heavily. Rebecca stepped forward again, her own eyes filled with tears. "You are a police officer, Conrad. It's a dangerous job. Why do you think we didn't want you to purse law enforcement as a career? I don't care what precautions you take, you could be injured or killed in the line of duty one day. Riley's already lost her mother; what do you think it would do to her if she was living with you and lost you as well?"

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Inside Con's apartment, Riley was standing just inside the open door, watching the interplay between her grandparents and uncle below. Their words weren't carrying that far but she could tell by their body language that the conversation wasn't going well. The three boys were standing awkwardly nearby. They wanted to help but weren't sure what to do. Finally Frank reached out and touched the younger girl's shoulder.

"Riley, why don't you come sit down? You're still a little shaky. Con's going to do what he can."

Reluctantly, she allowed the older Hardy to lead her to the couch. Joe, hating to root around Con's kitchen but wanting to do something, fished a bottle of water from the refrigerator and opened it for Riley. She accepted it and took a small swallow before setting it aside. She looked at Biff in wonder, his presence finally registering with her. "You stayed around."

Biff grinned. "I told you my grandmother would give me fits if I left a damsel in distress. And believe me I'd rather be tackled by the whole defensive line of a football team while not wearing pads than be on the receiving end of a tongue lashing from my grandmother."

There was almost a hint of a smile on her face but then her expression turned gloomy. "It's my fault he's arguing with them. I never should have come to Bayport."

Biff sat down in the chair next to the couch. "Don't feel that way. I know I don't know Officer Riley the way Frank and Joe know him; they're the ones always having run-ins with the law." He paused when he realized how that sounded. "I didn't mean that in a bad way. I just meant they have to deal with the police more often while they are solving mysteries. Anyway, I don't see him as being the type to get mixed up in a situation he didn't believe in. If he's fighting to keep you with him, it's because he wants to. Don't blame yourself."

"Biff's absolutely right, Riley. If Con didn't want you to stay here, he would have just allowed them to take you. Besides, if you hadn't come to Bayport, who knows what that guy might have done to you and we wouldn't have been around to help you."

She shuddered one again at the thought. Frank knew his brother was trying to help but he wasn't sure that reminding Riley of her close call was the way to go about it. Sitting next to her on the couch, he could feel how icy cold her skin was - probably a reaction to the shock she'd experienced. He reached behind him for a blanket that someone, probably Con, had folded and placed on the back of the couch. He unfolded it and wrapped it around her small shoulders, keeping his arms loosely around her for comfort. "Don't worry about any of that right now, Riley. You did come to Bayport and we're glad you did. If you have to return to Cloverton with your grandparents, Joe and I are still going to investigate your mother's death. Even if that means we have to drive to Cloverton to do our investigating. And now that you and Con have reconnected, I don't think he's going to let anyone keep him away either. You aren't alone in any of this."

Riley smiled shakily, appreciating their attempts to reassure her. "I know and believe me, I'm grateful. I told Uncle Con last night that I would run away before I let them take me back. Yet when giving the opportunity today, I couldn't do it. I came here instead. I wouldn't have done that before. It just hurts my stomach to think about returning with them. How do I trust them? I know I'm not totally out of the effects of the medicine they were slipping me but at least I'm starting to feel less like a stranger in my own body. I don't want to go back to that feeling again."

Frank shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. Yesterday, you were pretty distrustful of Con as well, yet today it seems much better. How did he regain your trust?"

The blanket was slowly bringing warmth back into her body, and she leaned further into Frank's body taking the strength his protective arms around her were offering her. "Uncle Con and I have always had a great relationship until that time I came to him for help. Growing up he was more than just my uncle; he was a friend as well. I was hurt that he wouldn't let me stay and I allowed my grandparents to convince me of things that weren't true. Being back here it was easier to remember that he really was on my side. It's different with Gram and Gramps. I know on some level they love me. I'm my mother's daughter but I also believe they resent the part of me that came from Dad; they always have. I can't change that."

They sat there in silence for several more minutes and then Riley wiggled out of Frank's arms and stood up, letting the blanket fall to the couch. The three boys looked at her, concerned. She reached for her backpack purse that was sitting on the coffee table, a look of determination settling on her face. "This is stupid. I can't stay up here while they are down there deciding my fate. I keep saying I don't want them treating me like a child; it's time I quit acting like one."

"Riley, wait…" Frank tried to stop her but she was already walking toward the door. She opened it but stopped before crossing the threshold as her grandfather's angry voice filtered its way up from the parking lot.

"You won't get away with this, Son. Mark my words, you will regret this."

"Who's that down there with your uncle?" Biff asked, standing right behind her and pointing out a man in dress pants and shirt standing next to Con.

No one had an answer for him as they watched Riley's grandparents get in their car and peal out of the parking lot with a screech of tires. The newcomer reached over and shook Con's hand before following him up the stairs to the apartment. Riley took several steps backward into the apartment; almost scared to think what all of this meant. It looked like her grandparents had left without her but with her grandfather's warning reverberating in her ears, she couldn't believe that it was all over.

As he stepped into the apartment, Con wrapped his arms around his niece and kissed the top of her head. He was physically and emotionally drained and it was only mid afternoon. He blamed his sudden fatigue on a combination of the lack of sleep the night before, his worry over Riley being in nature, his anger at his parents, and the stress of the question his mother had poised about his job. "Darling, this is Milton Brewer, the lawyer Mrs. Hardy recommended to me."

He led her back to the couch and sat down with her beside him. Brewer took the chair that Biff had been sitting in earlier and the three teenaged boys took perches where they could. Riley looked up at him in confusion. "Why did they leave, Uncle Con? I can't see Gramps giving up easy and he sounded pretty mad. I didn't want to cause you trouble. I'm sorry…"

He hugged her gently, pretty sure that the ibuprofen she'd taken earlier that morning had long since worn off and that her pain was probably back full force after her attack. "Shh, it's okay, Darling. You are staying with me. At least temporarily."

Riley blinked a couple of times as she looked up at him, not sure whether she trusted what her ears were telling her or not. "But you said it would take awhile. How? Is this some sort of joke?"

Milton Brewer laughed as he handed her a piece of paper with an official looking blue background. "Not hardly; you'll see Judge Braddock's signature on that court order and I don't think the man would recognize humor if you hit him upside the head with a joke book. It's not a victory in the war but it's certainly the first battle won."

She scanned the paper quickly not understanding all the finer points but recognizing it as a temporary custody order listing Con as her guardian. She shook her head. "I still don't understand. How did you do this so quickly? Uncle Con told me you were good but not a miracle worker. This looks like a miracle to me."

"Ordinarily it would have taken a lot longer. Judges aren't in too much of a hurry to change custody agreements on a whim unless there is extreme danger to the child. While what Officer Riley told me about your grandmother slipping anti-depressants in your food unawares troubled me, without proof I wasn't going to be able to get a judge to issue an emergency order. But on a whim I did some checking and I'm glad I did. It's unusual but not completely unheard of in small towns so I figured it was worth a check and turns out I was right."

Frank frowned. "About what?"

"After Gina Davis died and Mickey Davis was arrested, no formal custody transfer was made. It sometimes happens when there is a death and no big issue on who will be the guardian. Usually goes unnoticed until schools get cranky about residency requirements or, in cases like this, someone decides to fight for custody. Since there was no custody agreement legally in place it wasn't hard to convince a judge to issue a temporary ruling. I can't make any guarantee what will happen when it goes to a full hearing, but I'm going to try really hard to make it a permanent situation."

"I'm sure my parents are going to fight this tooth and nail. What can we do to make our position stronger?" Con pressed.

Brewer considered the question carefully before answering. "On one hand, Riley is at an age that a judge will take her wishes into consideration but the anti-depressant issue could work against us. Your parents can say that due to medical issues, Riley's wishes are not a factor here. It would help if we had a report from a psychiatrist who would testify on her behalf."

"Dr. Myers is dad's doctor. He's seen me before as well. I'm sure he'd testify." Riley suggested. Milton nodded but Con looked at her carefully, trying to get a real read on her answer.

"You okay with seeing him? I'd like to hear his opinion on any lasting effects from the Cymbalta as well."

"Dad trusted him, and so do I. We'd have to make a trip to Cloverton though."

"Wouldn't hurt to let you get a bag or two of your own things anyway. As nice as Vanessa and Callie were to loan you some of their clothes, I'm sure you'd be happier in your own things." Con assured her. Of course, a trip to Cloverton would mean running into his parents and that promised to be unpleasant given their mood when they found out Riley would not be going home with them. He glanced back at Milton. "A trip there wouldn't hurt the temporary custody would it?"

Milton shook his head. "Now that there is a legal ruling, I think its safe until the full hearing." He opened his briefcase and pulled out a form that he handed to Con. "I don't know how feasible this will be, but it would also help if we had a parent recommendation for guardianship. Do you think her father would fill this out? I'm sure the prison would have someone there who would notarize it for you if he would."

Con accepted the piece of paper and looked it over. "I'll see what I can do." Milton rose and Con walked him to the door. As he closed the door, he looked back at Riley who was looking at him hopefully.

"Does this mean we're going to Dulcer?"

Con nodded. "We'll go tomorrow." Seeing she was about to protest, he held up his hand. "Tomorrow, Riles. You've been through enough for today and we still have to go to the police station for you to give your statement. Besides, since you are staying - and I'm very glad that you are, the first order of business is for me to get another bed in this apartment. Neither one of us is going to spend another night on that contraption someone dubbed a sofa bed. I can move some of my weight equipment around in the spare room and set it up in there."

Biff reached for his phone. "I may can help with the bed issue. Give me a minute." He moved to the kitchen to make a call. Frank used the time to broach another subject.

"Riley, what's a deveining knife?"

Riley's expression looked puzzled at the sudden question. "It's a small knife used to slit the shell of a shrimp in order to remove the black vein that runs through it. Most people just use a paring knife to do the same thing but Mom believed in using the right tool for the job."

It didn't sound like the kind of knife one would grab if suddenly attacked but Riley had told them earlier that Gina had been clutching it in her hand at the time she'd died. He'd heard about such death grips called Cadaverous spasms where a person had such a tight grip on an object at the time of death that the hand retained the position almost immediately. But why that particular knife? Then, Frank remembered Riley saying that at the time of her death, Gina had been working on a shrimp recipe for her restaurant.

"I know it would have been in the middle of the night but is it possible she was in the kitchen working on her shrimp recipe when she was murdered?"

Riley nodded. "She wasn't just planning on adding it as a new menu item, but was entering it in a contest among chefs all across the state. She was almost fanatic about it. Even though Dad and I told her we thought she had a winner, she wasn't completely happy. If she got an idea on how to improve it during the night, she would have gotten up to try it right then. Why is any of this important?"

"You said something earlier that's been bugging me. You were talking about the blood at the crime scene and said her deveining knife had blood on it. If she was holding it when she was killed, it's possible she stabbed her killer with it."

Con wasn't exactly sure where Frank was going with his questions but it reminded him of something. "Mickey didn't have any wounds on him. I remember the officers on the scene talking about they had checked him for defensive wounds and he didn't have any."

"So if she did stab her killer, it could prove that Mickey wasn't guilty."

"Too bad you weren't working the case two years ago when we could have possibly used this information." Con admitted gruffly.

"But the knife would still be in evidence lockup somewhere. DNA from the blood could still clear him and help us figure out who the real killer was."

Biff returned from the kitchen, interrupting the conversation. "I have a bed for you. My grandmother just had hip replacement surgery and had to go from a regular bed to one of those hospital type beds. She was planning on giving the frame and mattress to Goodwill but said you can have it instead. I can borrow my dad's truck and I think the four of us can manage to load it and bring it up here."

"This the same grandmother you were worried about getting a tongue lashing from?" Riley teased, her emotions stabilizing now that she knew she wouldn't be going back with her grandparents and Frank's suggestion on a way to help clear her father.

Con smiled at him. "Thanks, Kid. Not just for saving my back from another bad night of sleep but for coming to Riley's rescue earlier. I don't know what this tongue lashing business is about but I intend to let your granny know her grandson is okay in my books."


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: Hope you enjoy this chapter, the case is about to come to the forefront of the story.

Disclaimer: still not mine

Family Loyalties

Chapter 12

Riley couldn't sit still. She had tried pacing the length of the small office at the Dulcer Correctional Facility when they first arrived thirty minutes earlier but after the third pass, Con had given her a little growl of frustration and had gently pulled her into a chair next to him, complaining that she was making him dizzy watching her. But even in the chair, her legs refused to cease their movements. Her heels were rising up and down in a motion that caused her knees to be constantly bouncing.

The movement was driving Con crazy, although he knew it was more the nervousness behind the almost frenetic repetition than the bouncing itself. He couldn't blame her for being anxious; she hadn't seen her father in almost two years and there was still no guarantee that he was going to agree to this visit. Con put his arm around her, tucking her upper body in closer to his in an effort to reassure her and then looked over her head to where Joe Hardy was sitting in the chair on the other side of Riley.

Con hadn't protested the younger brother tagging along with them. He wasn't completely sure what Frank and Joe were hoping to learn from Mickey and was even less sure that Mickey would agree to talk to a young man that he didn't even know but he figured Joe's presence would be good for Riley both during and after the visit. Frank hadn't come along, choosing instead to follow up on another lead.

For Joe's part, he could feel the waves of nervousness radiating off both uncle and niece, even if Riley's was more noticeable than Con's. He wanted to ease the tension a little as it seemed they had been waiting for an interminable amount of time. "You know, I don't know who I feel sorrier for, Chief Collig or Frank."

Con smiled and even released a small chuckle. "I wouldn't worry about that combination as much as I would have if you had gone in Frank's place. I'm glad the Chief was willing to help but I'm still not sure even he's going to get any information or help."

The night before after Con and the three boys had finished rearranging the spare room and setting up the bed, Frank had returned to the conversation that had been interrupted by Biff's announcement about the bed.

"_Con, do you think we could see the evidence collected at your sister's house?"_

_Con leaned against the foot of the bed and folded his arms. He only considered the question for half a minute before shaking his head. "Not a chance. What do you think would happen if the two of you showed up at Bayport PD asking to see evidence in a case that had been closed?"_

_Frank had to admit they would be denied. Con nodded and then put a finger to his lips like he was about to share a secret. "And _we _actually like you boys. Don't let that information get out. Cloverton is one of those small town good ol' boy precincts. They are very protective about all of their toys and findings. At best they would laugh you out of the station and at worst they'd run you out of town before you could finish your request."_

"_I actually kind of figured they wouldn't give it to Joe or me but what if you made the request?"_

_Again Con shook his head. "I'm the brother of the victim. Even if they called themselves doing me a professional courtesy, anything I touched would then be inadmissible in a court since I'm related. You still thinking about that blood?"_

_He lowered his voice on the last question so Riley wouldn't hear. Giving her statement at the police station had been difficult for her, making her relive all the fears she'd experienced and triggering another minor panic attack. Though Con had been impressed with her quick thinking about trying to save herself, he was worried about how the trauma was going to affect her sleep that night. Currently she was better, joking good naturedly with Joe and Biff and essentially ignoring his conversation with Frank but he wanted it to stay that way. _

_Frank nodded. "If there was blood on Gina's knife and we can get a sample of it for a DNA analysis then we can at least prove Mickey's innocence even if we don't get a hit on who the real murderer was."_

"_Someone's been watching too many crime shows." Con mumbled but had to admit that Frank was on to something. "I know the police chief at Cloverton. He offered me a job there when I first graduated from the academy. I almost took the job but I really wanted to work in a bigger town and I knew the atmosphere I'd be working in there. He thinks the case is closed and he's not going to be happy that anyone's questioning the work his men did, especially since Mickey confessed."_

_Frank's face fell at the thought they'd reached a dead end before they even got started. "What would convince him?"_

_Con gave it some consideration. "He's a glory hound. He'd do anything that would give recognition to the Cloverton police department - in a positive way."_

_Frank thought for a couple of minutes. "What if they thought they were helping to solve another cold case for Bayport PD?"_

_Con raised an eyebrow, "I'm listening."_

"_What if you had Chief Collig call them and ask to see the evidence. He could tell them that Bayport had a similar unsolved murder and wanted to look through the evidence Cloverton collected to see if he could link Mickey to the unsolved case. Would they turn the evidence over to him then?"_

_Con nodded. "Probably, but that would mean getting the chief to agree to lie to another police chief. I don't see Chief Collig being too happy about that."_

_Frank gave Con his most trustworthy and innocent expression. "But you just said you all like Joe and me."_

_Now Con did snort out loud. The three teens that had been ignoring them looked at him curiously before turning back to their conversation. He leveled his gaze at Frank. "Not that much. But, he did seem pretty taken with Riley at the station earlier. He might agree to do it to help her. I'll give him a call."_

Surprisingly Collig had readily agreed to help without pulling in his sympathy to Riley. He had had a previous bad experience with the Cloverton chief that he wouldn't explain and was more than willing to do what he could. He'd promised to drive over to Cloverton personally to make the request and collect the evidence. Frank had asked to tag along and as another surprise, Collig had agreed to that as well.

"Officer Riley?" The warden at the correctional facility returned to the office. Con gave Riley's arm a comforting pat before releasing her to stand up. He hoped the warden had been able to convey to Mickey the importance of seeing them. The warden sighed. "Mickey agreed to see you."

Riley practically jumped up from the seat ignoring the twinge it caused her bruised ribs. Her face was practically alight with the excitement of getting to see her father after so long. The warden gave her a pitying look.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart; he agreed to see Officer Riley only. He was very adamant."

Her expression quickly changed from excitement to despair. She turned around and walked to the office window, looking out into the parking lot as she tried to keep from crying in disappointment. Con felt bad for her, knowing what this visit meant to her. He came up behind her and hugged her gently. "I know how you feel, Riles, and I'm sorry. I'll do what I can to change his mind while I'm talking to him."

Her body remained rigid but he could see her reflection in the window and could see her lower lip tremble as she tried not to cry. She shrugged using both shoulders, wincing a little as the movement caused a ripple of pain through her injured arm. Then she turned to face him, her eyes revealing a hint of the pain she was feeling but otherwise her expression was pensive. "You won't bully him, right? Cause he can't handle that. Yeah, I want to see him but I want him to want to see me not feel like he's got to."

Con gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't bully him. I promise. Now, you stay here with Joe and I'll be back as soon as I can."

She turned back to stare out the window before Con could move; he gave Joe a hard look as if ordering the teenaged boy to take care of Riley while he was gone. Joe rolled his eyes exaggeratedly as if to suggest that Con hadn't needed to ask him to look after the younger girl. With a heavy sigh and feeling like he was abandoning his niece even if she was in good hands with Joe, Con turned and followed the warden out of the office.

The warden led him down the hallway to a small room, carrying on a conversation the whole way. "I believe you are the first visitor he's agreed to see since he's been here. No, wait I take that back; there was one guy who came to see him a couple of times when he first arrived but that's it. Mickey Davis is a model inmate; he's had some issues with his disorder from time to time but he's never given us any real problems. I feel real bad not letting his daughter come back but I have to honor prisoner wishes. She seems like a nice kid."

"She is," Con agreed. "I don't know if Mickey realizes how lucky he is to have a kid who's as devoted to him as Riley is."

"I've been doing this job a long time. I've seen families torn apart because of a prison sentence." The warden stopped outside a door where an uniformed officer was standing guard. "He's in there. There will be a guard in the room with you and this one on the outside. They aren't there to listen in, just to provide assistance if needed. If you can get him to change his mind about seeing his daughter, just let one of the guards know and they'll send for her."

Con nodded his thanks and stepped inside. His brother-in-law was already sitting behind a small table. Con took a good look at him. Mickey had always had longer hair than most guys but it was always neatly trimmed and he'd always been clean shaven. Now both his hair and beard were in desperate need of a trim. He had an almost wild appearance about him. But his eyes held the same haunted look that they had the last time he'd seen him. Con sat down at the table. Mickey frowned.

"I was surprised to hear you were here," Mickey admitted. Unlike the conversation two days before, there was no hint of a stutter in the man's voice. Then fear filled his eyes. "Newman's brother? Did he…"

"He's in jail. He tried to grab Riley yesterday but Fenton Hardy's son and a friend stopped him before he could do any damage. You don't have to worry about him any more."

Relieved, Mickey nodded running his hands through his wild unkempt beard. "Then why're…"

"I'm petitioning the court for full custody of Riley. My attorney says I'd have a better chance of winning if you fill out a form requesting me as a guardian for her."

"I thought your parents had taken custody. Did something happen to them?" Despite the fact that he knew his in-laws had nothing but contempt for him, he seemed genuinely worried about them.

"Mom and Dad are fine; they're their usual selves. Riley isn't happy with them, and I'm trying to make things better for her."

"Is this what she wants?" Mickey wanted to know, not meeting Con's eyes.

Con wanted to reach across the table and give the man a good shake. He wasn't as quick to want to forgive Mickey for what had happened with the thug who had tried to kidnap Riley as she was. Nor was he happy that Mickey had once again rejected her today. But he held in his temper, more because of his promise to Riley not to bully her father than worry about what the guard in the room would say. "Why don't you ask her? She's right down the hall and pretty desperate to see you."

Mickey hung his head even more. "L…look at m…m…me, Con. D…do you r…r…really want her t…t…to see m…m…me like t…t…this?"

Con knew he'd hit a nerve as he listened to Mickey stutter. He couldn't help but think about what Riley had told him the night she'd told him about Mickey refusing to see her. _I need him; even if he's broken, he's still the father I want and need. _"Yeah, you've looked better but she's not going to care about that. She needs you, Mickey."

"Won't let us have razors here." Mickey explained, again without the stutter. Con wasn't surprised; Mickey was always more apt to stutter when he was emotionally connected to the subject he was talking about. "Guess I can't blame them. We see the barber once a month and it's not until next week."

"Let her see you, Mickey. She loves you and none of this other stuff matters to her."

"I…I…I'll s…s…scare h…h…her." The worry was evident in his voice. Con gave him a reassuring smile.

"Maybe but she's tough; she can handle seeing your wild and crazy appearance better than she can the pain your rejection causes her."

"Okay." He finally acquiesced. Not wanting to give him an opportunity to change his mind again, Con looked back at the guard and nodded to him. In no time, the door was opening and Riley was practically running into the room.

Mickey rose at her entrance, and in a second Riley was in his arms. It was on the tip of Con's tongue to warn him to watch her ribs, but then he stopped. He'd never seen a person hold someone the way he was currently seeing Mickey hold Riley. The tight grip Mickey had on the teenaged girl reminded Con of a drowning man desperately grasping hold to a life preserver but at the same time it was with such delicacy that you would expect to see someone caressing a priceless treasure. It was such a beautiful sight that it caused a lump to form in Con's throat.

After what seemed like an eternity and yet no time at all, Mickey released Riley to get a better look at her. He cupped her face lovingly in his hands; his thumb brushing gently against the bruise on her face. He winced at the injuries he was seeing before pulling her close to him again. He glanced at Con accusingly.

"Y…Y…you s…s…said she w…w…was okay."

Riley looked at her father, drinking in his image. "I'm fine, Dad. Just bruises. What about you? Are they treating you okay in here? I've missed you so much."

The guard in the room cleared his throat, obviously not happy with the prolonged contact. Mickey gave him a pleading look and the guard reluctantly flashed him two fingers letting him know he had two minutes. Mickey kissed her forehead and hugged her again. Then he reluctantly released her. He pulled one of the chairs on the other side of the table closer to his and gestured for her to sit down. He took hold of her right hand.

"I'm okay, Bug. The first few weeks were an adjustment but this isn't such a bad place. What about you? Con said you weren't happy with your grandparents."

Her right shoulder came up in a one-armed shrug. "Would you be happy with them?"

Now Mickey actually laughed out loud. It wasn't a usual sound for him, but Riley's wry sense of humor never failed to amuse him. "Point taken, Bug. Point taken. I'm so sorry, Riley. I should have never put you in this position. I wish I could go back and change things. Con says he wants me to fill out a form requesting that he be your guardian. I can do that but first tell me the truth; is that what you really want?"

"No."

Her immediate denial not only surprised Con but it also hurt him. He thought he'd gotten past her distrust of him. Mickey too looked surprised until Riley looked at him earnestly.

"What I really want is to live with you. Until that can happen though Uncle Con is the next best person I can think of."

Con felt better and realized he shouldn't have been surprised by her admission. Releasing his grip on her hand, Mickey reached over to Con and took the paper he'd offered him. He filled it out without comment and then handed it back to Con. Then he looked at Riley, reaching out to touch her cheek again. "You are so beautiful, so much like your mother. Should I be worried about the guys?"

She smiled, blushing slightly. "Dad. Don't worry; by the time the boys really start wanting to date me, you'll be out and you can check them out before you let me go out with them."

"Bug, you can't hold out hope on me. By the time they release me you'll probably be married with grandkids."

Riley shook her head. "No, Dad; it shouldn't be that long. Frank and Joe Hardy are investigating Mom's death. They already have a lead and…"

"NO!" Mickey's voice rose sharply causing the guard to take a couple of steps toward them. Con waved the guard off, letting him know that it was okay. Mickey took a deep breath before continuing at a calmer rate. "Sorry. No investigation. All they'll find is nothing but trouble for you. P…P…Please, Con. D…D…don't l…l…let them g…g…get i..i…involved."

Con shrugged. "Too late, Mickey; Joe's down the hall right now hoping to ask you some questions. You remember Fenton Hardy; his sons are just as persistent as he is, maybe even worse. I don't think I could stop them if I wanted to and with some of the questions they've already raised; I don't think I want to stop them."

Mickey opened his mouth to protest further but seeing the hopeful look on Riley's face he stopped. He growled in frustration. "Okay, I'll talk to him, alone."

Riley jumped out of her seat, hugging him tightly. The pain in her ribs didn't matter as much as being in close contact with her father. "Thank you, Daddy."

Knowing the guards were being lenient with time considerations, Con stood. "I'll give the two of you a couple more minutes alone while I go get Joe."

He walked back down to the warden's office. Joe stood up as Con entered. "How did it go?"

"He's not really happy about the two of your looking into the case but he's agreed to talk to you. Just remember, Joe, he's got issues. Pushing him won't get you the answers you want."

Joe nodded. "I'll take it easy on him. Don't worry."

"Don't worry. Yeah, I'll try that," Con agreed wryly.

When Joe entered the room, Riley rose from her chair to say goodbye to her father with a warm hug. She wanted to stay; she'd waited so long for this moment that she wasn't ready to end it. But she knew their time was limited and giving her allotted time to Joe might mean getting her father home quicker so they could have all the time in the world together. "Will you let me see you if I come back again?"

He had protested against seeing her for so long. Now that he'd given in and visited with her; he realized this brief time wasn't enough. If she wanted to see him, he wouldn't put her off any more. "Yeah, Bug. I'll see you."

The smile on her face warmed his heart as he took a mental picture of this moment. It would be an image he'd go back to later when he was feeling down about everything that had happened. She kissed his cheek and turned toward the door. She stopped when she got to Joe, speaking softly so no one but Joe could hear her.

"He stutters sometimes, really badly. It can be painful to listen to and the natural instinct is to finish his words for him. Don't do it. It'll only make him feel worse and it'll make the stutter even more pronounced. Be patient with him."

With a reassuring wink, Joe reached out and slightly squeezed her uninjured arm to let her know that everything would be fine. She gave her father one more look and then left the room. Joe walked to the table and sat down opposite the older man. "Thank you for seeing me, Sir."

"W…w…why are y…y…ou doing this?" Mickey questioned.

"Riley needs answers; my brother and I can find them. She believes you are innocent and I think she might be right. Want to make everything easier on all of us and just tell me what really happened that night?"

"I a…a…already d…d…did."

Joe watched him carefully. The older man wouldn't look him in the eye but he couldn't tell if that was a sign of a lie or just a byproduct of the man's mental illness. "I was hoping for the truth this time instead of the tale you've tried to make everyone believe."

"What did your dad tell you?" No hint of a stutter this time but Joe did hear the hard edge in his voice.

Joe wished he'd been able to talk to his father before coming to the prison but Fenton wasn't due back until later that day. "Not much; I've heard more about the case from Riley and Con. Is it possible that someone you were working for is responsible for Gina's death? Maybe the ones connected to the super blocked file on your website?"

Sweat beaded up on Mickey's forehead and Joe knew he's struck a nerve. "H…H…How d…d…did y…y…you k…k…know a…a…about t…t…that?"

"Riley showed it to us. We need the password."

Mickey shook his head, not willing to budge on that. Joe shrugged, willing to play to a hunch. "Okay, that's okay. It just would have been easier. You know, you taught Riley well. She's pretty good at all that hacking stuff and she's only gotten better at it since you've been in here. She's pretty sure she can get around your encryption program thingy but she'd rather have gone in the proper way."

Reaching for a piece of paper, Mickey wrote down a long complicated series of letters, numbers and symbols. He handed it to Joe with a hard glare. "Talk to your father. He'll tell you it's better to just leave things as they are."


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay, life got in the way. Hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Family Loyalties

Chapter 13

Frank Hardy glanced surreptitiously over to where the imposing chief of the Bayport police department was silently driving his gold-colored sedan toward the small town of Cloverton. Chief Collig hadn't said much during the drive and instead looked to be brooding about something. Finally Frank couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Chief, thanks for agreeing to this. I know it probably goes against your usual ethical…"

"You know what really goes against my ethical principals, Frank?" Collig asked as he deftly maneuvered the car into the left lane to pass a slower pickup truck. Every since Con Riley had called and asked about him going to Cloverton, he'd been mulling over past memories. He hadn't wanted to explain his reasons but after a night of his past anger smoldering once more, he wasn't sure he could keep quiet about it. "People who think the shield gives them some sort of higher superiority over what's right and what's wrong. I won't lie to you; I didn't agree to this cockamamie plan you and your brother concocted with Con just to figure out if his brother-in-law is innocent of murder. It was a pride thing as well."

Frank waited to see if Collig would elaborate and for a few minutes, it didn't look like he would. Then finally the older man continued. "You probably don't remember five years ago when one of my officers made the arrest of a lifetime. He pulled over a vehicle for a routine traffic violation when he realized that this was the person the feds believed had kidnapped Senator Raleigh's daughter."

Despite Collig's belief to the contrary, Frank did remember the case. His father had been set to leave town to help look for the missing five year old little girl when the news came in that she'd been rescued and a suspect apprehended. The case should have been over but the suspect had broken out of jail while waiting federal extradition. He'd killed the officer who had arrested him in the process of breaking out. The story had shocked the entire community. "The guy was caught, wasn't he?"

Collig nodded. "In Cloverton. A murder charge should have trumped the kidnapping charge on extradition but the Cloverton chief refused to turn him over to my custody. He said it was because we'd already lost him once and he didn't want to take any chances on him getting away again. But I knew the truth, he wanted the media glory of turning the suspect over to the Feds. In the end, the federal authorities turned him back over to us to be tried for murder before prosecuting him for the kidnapping but I've never forgiven the Cloverton chief."

Frank didn't know what to say about the case but Collig didn't seem to expect an answer. Instead, Frank concentrated on the case at hand. "You think he'll agree to let you look at the evidence?"

Collig shrugged. "Normally in the circumstance we're trying to pass off with him, all I would have to do is make a request for a transfer of the evidence. Once it was delivered to Bayport we could test any of the evidence we needed to but I knew that one wouldn't fly. That's why we are going to Cloverton. I imagine he'll let me look at the evidence with a whole bunch of stipulations that will keep it firmly in their grasp. That way if it does look like they helped us solve a cold-case murder, they can still get the glory for it. I don't know how I'm going to explain you though. You are much too young to be one of my officers."

With a shrug, Frank pointed out the obvious. "Can't you tell them I'm the son of Fenton Hardy helping you investigate the cold case?"

"Not if you want within twenty miles of that evidence. Sorry, Frank. I'll think of something before we get there. Whatever I come up with, you have to go along with it without question. Promise me?"

Frank nodded his agreement and the two settled back into a comfortable silence, not even a radio going to break the quiet. Frank was glad that it wasn't Joe sitting in his place. His younger brother would never have been able to stand the silence for any length of time.

At long last, Collig pulled up in front of the Cloverton Police Department and parked. Frank followed him inside and stood unobtrusively to the side as Collig made his request. A few minutes later, the two men were shown to the office of the Cloverton police chief.

"Collig, my officer says you want to see the evidence we collected in the Davis murder two years ago. Why? Mickey Davis confessed to his crime."

"One of my officers was looking into a three year old cold case when he recognized some similarities to the Davis murder. This murder coincided with a rare visit that Mickey had made with his family to visit his brother-in-law. As much as it pains Officer Riley, he thinks Davis might be responsible for our murder as well. He would have come up to make the request himself but he knew that would be a conflict of interest."

Frank was impressed with how believable Collig sounded. The Cloverton chief, however, frowned. "I don't know Collig, I usually wouldn't even consider such a request…"

"I understand. I usually wouldn't have even made the request but the press is busting our chops about the case about why it's taken us so long to solve the murder. Personally, I kind of hope this is a wild goose chase. It'll be hard to explain why it took us three years to solve the murder when it only took your department a few weeks. I guess it doesn't matter who gets the glory of the capture as long a murder is solved, right?"

"Of course," the chief agreed. Frank could almost see the gears turning in the man's head. Finally the man smiled. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a little cooperation between departments. I can let you look at the evidence, but if you want to take samples or anything else then you'll have to allow my men to do it for you."

Collig agreed. It wasn't standard procedure but it was more than what he had expected. Then the other chief leveled his gaze to Frank. "Who is this young man and what's his involvement in this case?"

He'd had plenty of time to think of plausible excuse so the question didn't faze Collig. "This is Frank; he's the son of one of my detectives. He's doing research for a criminology paper about cold cases. When he heard about how I was coming here, he asked if he could tag along so he could see how sometimes other departments can help break cases like I'm hoping happens here today. I hope you don't mind…." He trailed off as he saw the Cloverton chief nodding.

"That's fine. I trust he knows he can't touch anything."

"Yes, sir." Frank agreed.

The chief promised to have one of his men retrieve the evidence from storage and take it to an interrogation room for them. Once Frank and Collig were alone in the interrogation room, Frank couldn't resist a small smirk. "One of your detectives' son?"

"Well, your dad is a detective, right? And he has helped me out more than a couple of times on cases. Seemed like it wasn't a complete fabrication of the truth."

A few moments later, a uniformed officer brought in a box and set it on the table. "It's all in there. Now remember, if you want to take something out of its evidence envelope, let me know. I don't know what you expect to find though. Not much there that I could think would be useful."

Collig didn't say anything as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves even though the evidence would be sealed. Once the officer was gone, he tossed a second pair at Frank and then handed him a stack of crime scene photos. Rooting through the box, he pulled out a blood-covered chef's knife. "That's the murder weapon, looks like someone must have been in a real rage when he used it."

Frank quit looking through the photographs to look at the knife in Collig's hand. From across the table, the knife didn't look much different from ones he'd seen his mother use in her own kitchen. How many times had Gina stood at her kitchen counter and used that very knife to prepare meat to cook for her family. Now it was covered from tip to hilt with blood, blood that had meant the difference between life and death for Riley's mother. It made his stomach turn to imagine Riley coming downstairs and witnessing someone's heinous act first hand.

"Expensive knife." Collig commented, almost as if realized that Frank needed a distraction. He set it on the table. "I like to putter around the kitchen when I get a chance. My wife brought me a really nice knife set last year for Christmas; I thought it was top notch until I saw this one."

"Gina Davis was a professional chef; makes sense she'd have a top of the line knife set. Keep looking, Riley said she was holding a deveining knife. That's the blood we need a sample of."

Collig searched through the box and then shook his head. He looked back up at Frank. "There's no deveining knife in here. Don't give me that look, Frank; I know what one looks like. My knife set wasn't nice enough to include one but I do know the difference between one knife and another. The only other cutlery in this box is a fillet knife. Could Riley have been mistaken?"

Frank shook his head but then considered the situation. "You've seen her attention to detail. Her mom cooks all the time; Riley knows her knives as well. But then again, her mother was dead in her father's arms; how much attention did she really pay to the details? Maybe she just assumed it was the deveining knife since her mom had been working on some sort of shrimp dish."

Con lifted the bagged knife from the box and frowned deeply. "We've got another problem. There's no blood on this knife."

Frank stared at the knife. "I may be willing to concede that Riley might have been mistaken by the type of knife her mother was holding but I don't think she would have imagined the blood. You should have seen the panic she was in after she was attacked at Con's apartment yesterday. It had very little to do with what could have happened to her but everything to do with the flash back to the murder it caused her. I know you could argue that there was so much blood - so much of Gina's blood - that she could have been confused but I don't think so."

Con looked at the knife in his hand and then compared it to the chef's knife that had been used to take Gina's life. "These came from the same set. There's no question about it. So if this isn't the knife Gina was holding, then how did it end up in the evidence box and where is the real knife?"

Frank didn't have an answer but picked up the stack of crime scene photos again. He flipped through them until he found one that showed Gina's body and the knife in her hand. Sure enough there was blood on the blade. He handed the picture to Collig. "I don't know but here's the proof that the evidence is lying."

Setting the knives back in the box, Collig took the photo Frank had offered him. He frowned. "Not only is that a bloody knife but it's also a deveining knife like Riley said." Setting the photograph aside, he picked up the knives again. This time he examined the seals on the evidence bag. "The name's the same on both bags but the signatures are different as is the ink. Damn, someone's tampered with the evidence. But who?"

Frank picked up the top of the box where a list was taped that held the signatures of everyone who had looked at the evidence. Since Mickey had confessed, the evidence hadn't been used in a trial so there weren't many signatures on the list. The last one was the officer who had brought them the box with a notation that it was signed out to be viewed by Chief Ezra Collig. He scanned up a line and his heart skipped a beat. The same officer had checked the box out about two months after the murder. The notation on the side said that the evidence was going to be viewed by Fenton Hardy.

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Con Riley glanced over the console to where Riley had wedged herself in the corner between the door and her seat. Her eyes were closed and her breathing even. He smiled. She looked more peaceful now than she had since she arrived in town and he was grateful that her visit with her father, albeit brief, had given her that feeling. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he reached over with the other to brush her brown bangs out of her eyes and then glanced up at the rearview mirror to where Joe was staring intently out the window.

"You look lost in thought." He noted, accustomed to that pensive, thoughtful look coming more from the older Hardy brother instead the more impetuous Joe. "What's on your mind?"

Joe turned away from the window and looked toward Riley, not wanting to wake her up. He wasn't sure he wanted to voice the doubts that had been building inside him since he talked to Mickey. His hand reached into his pocket and fingered the slip of paper that contained the password Mickey had written down. He looked back at Con who was alternately keeping his eye on the road and glancing back at him through the rearview mirror. He chose his words carefully.

"I don't get it, Con. Either her father really did murder her mother or he abandoned Riley to your parents in order to take the blame for a crime he didn't do. Despite that, she has absolute faith in him."

Con grinned. "She's always been a Daddy's girl. Don't get me wrong; she had a close relationship with Gina as well but she practically worships the ground Mickey walks on. The feeling is mutual though. There's nothing he wouldn't do for her; that's why him refusing to see her seemed so wrong. Somehow I don't think their relationship is what has you all inside your head back there. I won't push you but I'm here if you want to talk about it."

"You asked Dad to investigate your sister's murder. How far did he get in his investigation?" Joe couldn't shake the feeling that Mickey had been trying to tell him that Fenton knew what really happened. Everything they had learned so far suggested that Mickey was innocent but why would Fenton allow an innocent man to remain jailed for a crime he didn't commit? It just didn't make sense.

"Yeah, your dad was great. Dropped what he was doing and came right out to Cloverton when I called him. He wouldn't even let me discuss payment with him; said you didn't charge friends when they are hurting. After Mickey confessed, it didn't make much sense for Fenton to keep investigating. He had a family to support and had to get back to paying cases. I think he still continued to look into the case for a few weeks after Mickey went to jail but I guess he didn't find anything worth mentioning to me. Why?"

Joe shrugged. He trusted his father- maybe not to the same extent that he'd witnessed earlier with Riley and Mickey, but he did trust him. Voicing doubts about his father to Con just seemed wrong; he'd keep them to himself until he was back with Frank. Together, they could figure out how to use the information Mickey had given them. "Just wondering. It's not like Dad to give up a case before it's solved."

Con figured there was more that Joe wasn't saying but, as promised, didn't press the teenager. "Technically, he didn't give up the case. Mickey's confession kind of put a stop to it."

Riley stretched in her seat and slowly opened her eyes. She glanced around trying to get her bearings and then smiled over at Con. "Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep like that."

"Just glad to see you getting some real rest, Riles. We still have about a thirty minute drive left; feel free to go back to sleep if you want."

She shook her head. "I'm good. Better than good now that I've gotten to see Dad." She twisted more in her seat to look at Joe. "I have to admit that I'm a little surprised that he wrote down the password for that file for you. How did you convince him?"

Joe figured that that she wouldn't like his persuasion techniques so he just flashed her a smile. "Consider me like the magician who never reveals his secrets." Before she had a chance to question him any further, his cell phone rang. He answered it, expecting it to be his brother checking in. It was Vanessa instead. "Hey Babe. What's going on?" He listened, his grin widening. "That sounds like a great idea. I'll ask her if she wants to join us and I'll see you at seven. Love ya, Babe." He hung up the phone and looked back up to the front seat. "That was my girlfriend Vanessa."

Con snorted. "I would have never have guessed."

Joe shot him a mock glare before turning back to Riley. "Since you are going to be sticking around Bayport awhile, how would you like to meet some more of mine and Frank's friends? Vanessa is gathering the gang for pizza and invited you to join us."

Riley chewed on her bottom lip as she considered the invitation. "I would like to thank her and Frank's girlfriend for the clothes they loaned me. What do you think, Uncle Con? Would it be okay?"

Con smiled, happy to see her fitting in and, well, happy. Since her arrival, he'd been afraid that the guarded, distrustful girl he'd discovered near the Hardys had completely replaced the vivacious, carefree niece he'd always loved. He was pleased to see her true personality slowly re-emerging. He hoped that also meant that the last of the anti-depressants she'd been forced to take were almost completely out of her system. "Sure, Riles; Despite the trouble magnets Frank and Joe can sometimes be, they have pretty good taste in friends. Go and have fun."

Her face lit up as the permission was giving and she looked almost giddy at the thought. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've gone out for pizza with the gang? Any gang? Those elitist snobs that Gram and Gramps wanted me hanging out with would have cringed at the idea of being called a gang and they were more into the country club scene than the local pizza joint."

"Mr. Pizza isn't just the local pizza joint; it's the best pizza on either side of the Mississippi. You'll love it." Joe assured her. The girl he'd talked to in the Emergency Room had captured his sympathy and made him want to do everything he could to help her, but the girl sitting in the front seat was someone he could see fitting in quite well with his circle of close friends. He couldn't help but joke with her now. "Did I really hear your father call you Bug?"

A warm blush crept into her cheeks. "Yeah, he's not supposed to call me that in front of other people but it's been so long since I've heard him use the nickname that I don't even mind. I know it seems like a weird nickname but I think it had something to do with the way I would crawl as a baby. I used to stay so confused growing up between Dad calling me Bug and Uncle Con calling me Riles. Even my mom had her own nickname for me."

She grew a little pensive. "When I would complain about the nicknames, especially Bug, Mom used to tell me that it was a sign of how loved I was that everyone had their own pet name for me. I didn't realize just how much I missed it until I started hearing them again. Gram and Gramps always insisted on just calling me Riley "

Con reached over to give her check a quick caress. "Don't dwell on them anymore. You're with me now, Darling and I'm going to make sure you remember just how loved you are."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Fenton Hardy pulled his vehicle into the driveway and shut off the engine. For a few minutes he continued to sit there in his car. Usually he looked forward to returning home after a case but he wasn't sure that this homecoming was going to be like the others. He was pretty certain that Frank and Joe were probably more than a little upset with him over his firm insistence that they have nothing to do with investigating the death of Con Riley's sister. He knew they were going to want an explanation but he didn't have one that he could give them.

After hanging up the phone from talking to Frank, he'd wanted to put a stop to his undercover assignment and come immediately home. He knew his sons, especially Joe, well enough to know they wouldn't be happy about his edict and he knew he had to get home soon to keep them from branching out on their own despite his order. Still, his sense of duty had won out and he'd stayed to finish the case. He hadn't been able to wrap it up soon enough to setting his growing concerns over his sons.

Their van was parked in the driveway so he assumed they were home. Almost reluctant to face the music, he climbed out of the car and grabbed his overnight bag from the back seat. Stepping into his house, he placed the bag next to the door. The house was pretty quiet for the boys to be home and he wondered what they were up to.

The laundry door opened and Laura emerged into the kitchen carrying a basket of folded clothes. She gave him a smile of greeting but he was worried to see that it didn't quite make it to her eyes the way it usually did. He crossed the room and took the basket from her, setting it on the table before enveloping her in a hug. After kissing her warmly, he pulled back. "I missed you."

Laura wanted to launch into him immediately about the check Conrad Riley had left for him but refrained. Fenton was just returning home; there would be time for questions later. For now, she could only be grateful that he was home and uninjured. "I missed you as well. How was the case?"

"Long but fortunately unremarkable. I'm glad to be home. Where are the boys? I'm sure they have a lot of questions for me."

As he pulled away from her, she went to the cabinet and pulled out two glasses into which she poured tea. She carried them to the table and motioned for him to sit. "They were out of here first thing this morning. They should be back soon though."

Fenton frowned. "Something wrong with the van? Not like the two of them to go off without it."

"The van was fine. Ezra picked up Frank for their errand and then Con swung by and picked Joe up for the trip to Dulcer with Riley. They've really taken a personal interest in this case; they'll be glad you're back to help them with it."

Fenton could feel his blood pressure rising as he realized that despite Frank's assurance that they would leave the case alone, they had apparently jumped headlong into a murder investigation. It was obvious to him that the boys had not told their mother they had been forbidden to work the case; she wouldn't have allowed them to if she'd known. Before he could say anything, the front door opened and then closed. A moment later Frank came into the kitchen. He stared at his father.

Fenton's expression was stern as he rose from the table. "You have some explaining to do, Frank."

Frank folded his arms across his chest; he'd been stewing in his speculations since leaving Cloverton. "I could say the same about you. What happened to the knife Gina Davis was holding when she died? The real knife, not the one someone planted in the evidence box."


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Notes: I know, Fenton's not coming across too great so far. I just ask that you have a little faith that it will all work out in the end. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Family Loyalties

Chapter 14

"Is that an accusation?" Fenton asked, his voice low and as stern as the expression on his face. He wasn't sure what hurt worse, the fact that his sons had disobeyed him about working the case or the distrust he'd just heard in his older son's voice.

"Should it be?" It was hard for Frank to think that his father, the man who had taught him all he knew about detecting, the man he trusted more than any other man in the world, someone whose integrity he'd always held above reproach, could have sabotaged evidence the way it had been in this case. He had no proof that suggested his father was responsible for the switch other than the fact that his gut had twisted in several directions when he'd read the sign-out list at the police station. What he wanted more than anything was for Fenton to offer some sort of reasonable explanation that would ease that feeling of distrust that had been steadily growing in him.

For a couple of minutes father and son just stared at each other. It was difficult to tell which one was more furious. For years people had commented that Frank looked so much like his father and that had never been truer than at this moment as each waited for the other to offer explanations.

Finally Fenton responded. "I would guess the knife was taken by the same person who planted the replacement knife. What happened to you and Joe waiting until I got home to investigate Gina's death? You gave me your word you would stay away from the case until then."

Laura looked from her husband to her son. She understood her sons' desire to help the teenage girl who had suddenly appeared in their lives. She and Fenton had always encouraged the boys to help those in need but they had also taught Frank and Joe to obey them. "Frank, is that true? Did your father tell you to not get involved?"

Frank hung his head slightly, his outrage over the misplaced evidence deflating just slightly at the reminder of his own disobedience. "I know I promised to wait and I was going to until Joe reminded me of something more important. Mom, you saw Riley at the hospital. She was determined to get answers and Joe and I were worried about what would happen to her if she tried to find them alone. Besides, we haven't done much and we haven't really done anything without either Con or Chief Collig being present."

Fenton's eyes narrowed in obvious worry. "Hospital? Who was in the hospital?"

Laura explained about Riley's injuries and the worry only eased out of Fenton's eyes when she told him who was responsible for attacking the teenaged girl and that he'd been captured the day before. She reached out and put a comforting hand on her husband's arm. "Frank's right. Riley came here looking for you and even before we knew who she was or what she wanted it was obvious she had a mission on her mind. I don't understand, Fenton; you've always encouraged the boys' interest in solving mysteries. What's so different about this case?"

Fenton frowned. "I have my reasons. Obviously the two of you have come to care about Riley Davis in the short time you've known her. Leave this case alone if for no other reason than you don't want her to get hurt any worse than she's already been."

"What's going to hurt her?" Joe asked as he walked into the kitchen where the rest of his family was gathered. He'd realized that his father was home as soon as Con dropped him off. "Learning that her father really did kill her mother or that he's been sitting in jail for almost two years and you've had the ability to free him all this time but didn't?"

Fenton wouldn't look at him but both Frank and Laura turned to Joe for a further explanation. Joe continued, his eyes never leaving his father despite the older man's refusal to meet his gaze. "Mickey Davis agreed to see us. You should have seen how happy Riley was just to get a few minutes with her father. It was like all the bad stuff hadn't happened to her. I asked Mickey to tell me what happened; what really happened. You want to know his answer?" He didn't wait for a reaction but continued. "He asked me what you had told me. Why would he ask that?"

This time he stopped to wait for a response. After a couple of minutes of silence it was obvious that the answer Joe was looking for wouldn't be forthcoming. Finally Joe pressed forward. "He also told me to talk to you and you could tell me why it was better to leave things they way they are. What did he mean? Dad, what do you know about this case?"

Fenton whirled around and picked up the bag he'd dropped by the door. "The two of you were told not to investigate this case and I expect you to do as I say. I am going to unpack; we'll discuss your blatant disregard of my wishes later."

Without another word he stormed out of the kitchen. For a moment no one said anything. Then Frank turned to his mother. "I've never seen Dad so upset before. I don't get it. Yeah, we investigated after he asked us not to, but nothing bad happened. It's not even like it's the first time one or both us saw a case from a different perspective. Why is this one bothering him so much?"

Laura only shook her head, her gaze wandering to the drawer where she'd placed the check Conrad Riley, Sr. had left for him. "I don't know, Frank. I just don't know. Let me talk to him. Do the two of you have plans for tonight?"

Joe spoke up; "We're meeting the gang for pizza later; we're going to introduce Riley to everyone else."

Laura nodded. "That sounds fine. I know both of you are upset right now; that you have questions you feel like he's not answering. But please do two things for me. One, remember that your father loves both of you very much and he is a good man. Trust that he's always done the best he could in every situation. I'm sure this is no different."

She paused for a second because her second request was one she was sure they would have the most difficulty with. "Second, for tonight anyway, leave the case alone. I know you want to help Riley; I want her to get the answers she's seeking just as much as you do. But for tonight, just try being her friend, not the best detective brothers to whom I'm proud to have given birth."

Joe opened his mouth to argue but then closed it once again. His mother wasn't asking for forever, just one evening. An evening where they weren't planning to work on the case anyway. "Okay, mom. Tonight is all about having fun and relaxing. No mysteries."

Laura smiled and gave both boys a quick peck on the cheek. Before leaving the kitchen, she stopped at the drawer that held the check and removed it, sliding it into her pocket. Once Frank and Joe were alone in the kitchen, Frank slid into a chair at the table and buried his head in his hands wearily. Joe looked at him in concern.

"I came in during the middle of something. Why do I get the idea that what you discovered was more than just blood on a knife?"

Raising his head slightly, Frank explained about the switched knife and that Fenton had been the last to see the evidence. Then he sighed. "What about you? Were you able to get the password?"

Joe nodded. "He didn't want to give it to me but I led him to believe that Riley would be able to hack into the file regardless of having the password or not. It seemed to convince him to be agreeable. I just don't get it Frank. Everything we've discovered so far - which I know is not much at all - suggests Mickey didn't kill Gina. If Dad knows this, why would he let an innocent man remain in jail?"

All Frank could do was shake his head; he'd been wondering the same thing himself all afternoon.

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Laura quietly opened her bedroom door and stepped inside before closing it firmly behind her. For a moment, she just watched Fenton as he almost angrily shoved clean clothes from his bag back into drawers. She couldn't remember the last time she'd ever seen him this upset with the boys over anything. She leaned against the closed door and pulled the check out of her pocket.

"Conrad Riley left this check for you. He said for you to consider it a bonus for telling them where to find Riley." She tried to keep her tone absolutely neutral but still Fenton must have picked up on the slight censure she was unable to contain. He stopped what he was doing and his shoulders slumped as he turned to face her.

"Et tu, Laura?" The hurt in his voice was so plain that Laura let the check drop to the floor as she crossed the room to hug him.

"Fenton, I know you feel like we are all doubting you right now but you've got to see it from our perspective. None of what the boys said downstairs sounds like the man I love and married. Your whole demeanor today doesn't make sense. It sounds like you're covering up for something. Please, Fenton, tell me what's going on."

Fenton stiffened and pulled out of her embrace. Turning his back to her, he looked out the window into their backyard. "I can't do that."

Laura could feel some of the sympathy she'd felt upon entering the bedroom slipping away. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Can't or won't?"

When he didn't answer, she sighed and looked back toward the door. Her gaze fell back onto the check she'd dropped. Scooping it up, she looked back at Fenton. "Riley lost her mother and has essentially lost her father. Her grandparents haven't made her life easy; if you'd seen the pain…."

"I have seen her pain, Laura. I've seen the lack of loving attention her grandparents bestow on her. Don't forget, I got to Cloverton just a couple of hours after Con the morning after Gina was murdered. The body had already been taken away and Mickey had already been hospitalized. The police were still there processing the scene and Con was in the living room trying to comfort Riley; his parents were there too but they were too wrapped up in their own grief to really even notice anyone else. The pain you've seen the last couple of days probably couldn't hold a candle to the fresh raw emotion I saw that day."

Laura narrowed her eyes. "You don't want to talk about the murder investigation; fine, we won't talk about it. But answer me this - and this is non-negotiable; what part did you have in the Rileys finding out that Riley was here in Bayport?"

"I've lost count of the number of times that Riley has run away from home. At first she always seemed to wind up with Con somehow. Conrad and Rebecca hoped that if they cut off that avenue, Riley would stop running away. I don't know exactly what methods they used to make sure that Riley didn't turn to Con for help but it apparently worked. However, it didn't prevent her from running away; it only became harder to figure out where she went."

Fenton sighed as he continued his story. "They dealt with it but then Department of Human Services got involved. A DHS agent warned them that if Riley ran away again she would be labeled a habitual runaway and the court would remove her from their household and put her in a group home for troubled teens. So the Rileys stopped reporting her missing. Instead they would call me to track her down. I would do so and let them know where to find her. I might not agree with all of their parenting skills but I knew she was safe with them. This time when they called I was busy with a case and told them I would start hunting for her as soon as I could."

Fenton turned away from the window to face his wife. "I was ready to abandon my undercover work to go look for her but then I heard from Frank that she was here in Bayport and safe with Con. I relaxed and was ready to finish my assignment. Conrad called back and, I don't know, I guess he took my lack of alarm as proof that I knew where she was and decided that she must be here. I guess you could say that I gave away her whereabouts but it wasn't intentional. Please believe me."

"I do." Laura assured him. Once again she wrapped her arms around his waist, not enjoying seeing him in pain. She did believe him on the matter of informing Con's parents of Riley's whereabouts but she figured it was still better if Frank and Joe remained unaware of any involvement given their current mood.

She contented herself with just holding Fenton and being held by him for several minutes. Then she realized the implication of what he'd told her. She pulled back. "You said you were ready to abandon the case you were working on to look for Riley. Why were you so worried about her?"

Fenton stared at her. His mouth opened then closed; sometimes he forgot just how perceptive his wife was. Finally he shrugged. "You were the one who told me how she was hurt before getting to Bayport. Shouldn't I have been worried?"

Laura frowned, again sensing that her husband wasn't telling her the whole truth. "That was an isolated incident. You act like you are expecting her to be in danger. Is that why you don't want the boys investigating the case? Fenton, if Riley, and by extension Frank and Joe, is in danger, you've got to tell us what it is."

Fenton just shook his head. "I can't do that."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Con turned the page of the newspaper and then looked over the top edge to where Riley was sitting on the other end of the couch staring at the TV screen. He wasn't even sure what she was pretending to watch but he didn't think she'd be able to tell him either. With a sigh he set the paper aside. "Those wheels in your head are turning so hard I can almost see smoke coming out of your ears. What's going on?"

Riley absently played with the strap of her sling. "Are you sure you don't mind me going for pizza tonight with Frank, Joe, and their friends?"

He regarded her carefully, mulling over his answer in his head before speaking out loud. He wasn't sure if this was one of those tricky mind games where there was no good answer. "Why would I mind?"

She shrugged and he was glad to see that the motion didn't seem quite so painful for her anymore. "I don't know. The first night here I was pretty mad at you so we didn't really spend quality time together. Last night by the time we finished setting up the bed and everything we were both tired and went to bed early. So tonight is sort of like our first night together and here I am running off and leaving you. I guess I feel a little funny about it."

Con scooted closer to her on the couch and wrapped his arm around her thin shoulders. Pulling her into a light embrace, he kissed her forehead. Yes, this did have the potential of blowing up in his face but he felt pretty confident he could handle this land mind without an explosion. "Riles, I meant it when I said I wanted you here. I'm not giving you permission to go to dinner with Frank and Joe because I want to get rid of you. Part of me wants to never let you out of my sight so I know you are safe. But I know how important it is for you to have friends close to your own age."

He could feel some of the tension leave her shoulders as she relaxed just a little. "So you really don't mind?"

He shook his head. "I'm in this for the long haul. I know you are hoping that the Hardys are going to find a way to get your dad freed from jail and I hope they do as well. Until they do, though, I want this to feel like home for you. Home means you are comfortable doing normal teenage stuff like going for pizza with friends."

She smiled and snuggled in a little closer, moving her injured arm into a more comfortable position. "So since this is going to be long term, how long is your vacation going to last? You took off so you wouldn't be able to hear about any runaway report on me. You don't have to worry about that now."

"You have the appointment with Dr. Myers tomorrow. I want to be there for that but I was thinking about going back to work the day after. You think you can find ways to occupy your time while I'm at the station?"

"You have a computer; I can fill my time many different ways. Most of them are legal as well." She gave him a slight wink to show she was joking. "Seriously, I already feel more at home here with you than I did for the entire time I was staying with Gram and Gramps. I still don't believe Dad killed Mom and I want that proven so he can come home. For the first time though I think I can be happy until it happens."

Now it was Con's turn to smile. "I'm glad to hear that, Darling. Don't worry, Fenton Hardy is home now. With him working the case with Frank and Joe, it won't take long to find out who really killed Gina. You can trust Fenton to get to the bottom of things."


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: This chapter was written while my students were taking their exam so hopefully it came out okay.

Disclaimer: Still don't own them.

Family Loyalties

Chapter 15

Tap. Tap. Tap-tap. Tap. Scuff foot along the floor. Switch feet. Tap-tap. Tap. Pause. Tap-tap-tap. Tap. Repeat.

Another waiting room and once again Riley's nervous energy was driving Con to distraction. They had arrived in Cloverton just twenty minutes earlier for Riley's appointment with Dr. Myers. Con wasn't sure just what about this trip was bothering Riley so much but felt like he had to do something to calm her. After about the seventh repeat of her foot dance with the floor, Con wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders and drew Riley comfortably into his own space. The barest hint of a smile crossed Riley's features at the gesture.

"I'm sorry. I'm driving you batty, aren't I?" She apologized ruefully as she realized her less than rhythmic tapping hadn't go unnoticed.

He chuckled softly and kissed the side of her head. "Nah, it's not that. I just can't tell if you are creating a new form of Morse code or trying to drill through the floor. You do realize we are on the fourth floor; you'd have a long way to go before you could even hope to hit oil."

Immediately he felt a little of the tension leave her shoulders at his good-natured teasing. He gave her right shoulder a soft squeeze. "What's wrong, Riles? Are you worried about seeing Dr. Myers? I thought you said you trusted him."

"I do." Riley assured him quickly but then added. "I also trust Dr. Graves who's been my dentist since I first started cutting teeth. Doesn't mean I enjoy visits to her either. I can't help but be a little scared, Uncle Con. What if he decides I should be on medication? Or worse, what if he thinks I'd be better off staying with Gram and Gramps? I don't think I could handle either of those ideas."

"What if he thinks you should wear pink and purple boxers on your head for several weeks?" Con countered. "Seriously, Darling, don't borrow trouble. You said you've seen him before and he didn't think you needed a prescription then; no reason to think that's going to change now. As for who you live with; that's not why we are here. We just want him to say you are fit to make a rational decision on who you want to live with. I may not have taken all those fancy classes she did but I can't see him having a problem with that."

Riley blushed slightly. "I'm being silly and neurotic aren't I?"

Con leaned close enough so that he could whisper in her ear without anyone hearing. "Neurotic probably isn't the best word to use in a shrink's office, Riles." Once her grin broadened, he continued. "Anything else bothering you?"

"I can't imagine it's going to be fun going by Gram and Gramps' later to get my stuff. What if…" Seeing his eyebrow raise, the rosy hue on her cheeks got brighter but she continued. "I'm worried they might try something or at least make it unpleasant. I don't want to be the cause of trouble between you and them."

"Already taken care of, Riles." Con assured her. "Milton talked to a county CPS agent who will meet us at the house when we go. The agent will make sure everything stays civil and can call in the sheriff's department to intervene if it doesn't. Image is everything to Mom and Dad; I doubt they'll cause a scene. If anything, they'll polite us to death."

The two grew silent but it wasn't a moment later before the tapping began once more. Con shook his head. "How was pizza last night? You didn't say much about it last night but it looked like you had a good time."

Her face, as he had hoped, brightened and the tapping once more ceased. "Everyone was so nice; it was like I'd known them for years. Chet's parents own this big farm and he's having everyone over to play paintball this weekend. He invited me to come even though I can't do much with my ribs and arm. He said they could put me to guarding one of the flags and I could just sit there and shoot anyone who comes close to it."

Con smiled. He'd played paintball before and would have worried about her trying if he hadn't been sure the teens would be careful of her injuries. "Sounds like fun."

"You are going back to work tomorrow, right? Because Callie and Vanessa invited me to hang out at the mall with them for a little while tomorrow afternoon. I know I'm a little younger than they are but it doesn't seem to bother them. And Phil, he's into computers big time, was impressed when I was telling him about Dad's firewall program. He may be interested in purchasing the software for his own system. I have to remember to pick up a disk when I meet Frank and Joe at my old house this afternoon."

Con raised an eyebrow. "Frank and Joe are coming to Cloverton? What for and why didn't they just save the gas and ride with us?"

"We're going to look at Dad's files for possible clues." Riley explained as she shifted slightly in her seat to get more comfortable. Even as she moved she didn't stray too far from the close embrace Con had wrapped her in. "I asked if they wanted to ride with us but they had other things to do this morning; I don't know, maybe something with their father or something."

"Riley, you can come back now." A balding, slightly overweight grandfatherly of a man stood at the doorway leading into the office. He'd been surreptitiously been watching the two for several minutes before interrupting the conversation. He'd seen the teenager's nervousness change to almost animated happiness. Even though he wasn't sure what had caused either, it was clear to him that the man she was with had been responsible for the change. Dr. Myers was impressed with what he had seen.

Con and Riley both approached the doctor who held out a hand to stop Con. "I'm sorry; this isn't a group visit."

Con frowned. "I'm her uncle. I have some concerns-"

"Which I'll be happy to discuss with you as much as I can after I talk to Riley. You can wait out here and my receptionist will let you know when you can come back."

Before Con could protest further, the psychiatrist put an arm around Riley leading her inside the office, letting the door close behind her. Dr. Myers looked down at Riley and whispered almost conspiratorially. "Your mother's brother, right?"

Riley nodded. After years of treating Mickey Davis, Dr. Myers probably knew their whole family history. She looked around the office which Dr. Myers had purposefully designed to be comfortable and inviting. The warm décor immediately put her at ease as the doctor asked if she wanted something to drink. She declined as she settled into one of the overstuffed chairs that replaced the stereotypical couch that one would expect to find in a psychiatrist's office.

Dr. Myers took a second chair, a legal pad resting on his lap. He smiled at her. "I have to say, I was surprised to see you were coming in. I've tried several times since your father's trial to convince your grandparents to bring you-"

"But you were Dad's doctor so therefore public enemy number 2." Riley finished for him.

He nodded. "Something like that. How are you, Riley? I can't imagine it's been an easy two years for you…"

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

Con checked his watch for what had to have been the sixth hundredth time since the doctor had called Riley back. Weren't shrink visits usually just an hour long? Riley had been there for a good seventy-five minutes already and the receptionist didn't seem to be in a hurry to let him in the inner sanctum. Now it was his own leg tapping the passing seconds with no one to distract him. He tried flipping through a couple of the magazines sitting on the coffee table but they refused to hold his interest for more than a minute or two.

The phone on the receptionist's desk beeped; it was a different sound than the usual tone he'd heard from the phone during his stay in the office. His heart rate quickened. Riley's earlier worries now became his own despite his admonishments not to worry. He loved his niece and wanted the best for her but would he be able to talk her past her fears if the doctor did recommend medication? And what if it was in was in Riley's best interest to not live with him; could he turn her over to someone else's care even if it was better for her?

"Officer Riley, Dr. Myers is ready for you."

Con rose, suddenly feeling more like a kid who'd been summoned to the principal's office. The receptionist flashed him a smile. "It's okay; Dr. Myers doesn't usually bite."

Con nodded, seemingly unaware that she was joking with him. He opened the door, not sure what to expect a shrink's office to look like. Riley was curled comfortable in an over stuffed chair, a decorative pillow lightly sitting across her abdomen. He was about to worry until he realized it wasn't there to ward off pain. He ruffled her short dark hair affectionately as she smiled at him in greeting. Dr. Myers motioned for him to take the chair next to Riley.

"Have a seat. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting but Riley and I had a lot to discuss. You mentioned earlier than you have some concerns. I'll do what I can to address them so long as it doesn't compromise doctor-patient confidentiality."

The fact that Riley seemed much more at ease than when she came in made Con feel better. "My parents had their family doctor prescribe Riley antidepressants. I've read about them; it can be dangerous to stop taking them cold turkey."

The doctor nodded. He and Riley had already discussed those pills at length. She had shared with him her fears about taking the medicine in the first place and how distrustful she now felt towards her grandparents because of the method they had used to force the pills on her. Riley had also shared with him the doubts she had had about her own sanity while experiencing the side effects that went with taking Cymbalta. He didn't mention any of that to Con, but he had a feeling Riley's uncle had different concerns.

"You are supposed to taper off them instead of stopping cold; but I think she's over the worst of the effects."

"I can't believe the quack even prescribed them. What was he thinking? She's too young for antidepressants."

"I won't disagree with you. The FDA doesn't recommend Cymbalta for people under eighteen. Studies have shown the side effects can be worse for that age bracket. However, sometimes the benefits can outweigh the risks and I will prescribe antidepressants to someone Riley's age. As long as a teenager is monitored properly, the risks can be minimized."

Con held his breath; was Dr. Myers going to recommend she start back taking them? "Are you going to do that with Riley?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm not betraying a confidence when I say that Riley has been through hell the last couple of years. Stuff that could drive the strongest person to depression but she's pretty resilient. Her parents have taught her good coping skills. Granted, her genetic predisposition to social anxiety disorder means one day we might have to seriously consider medication as a treatment course but right now I think they would cause more problems than solve."

Con was relieved. He nodded absently and went to his next concern. "I'm fighting my parents for custody. I should have done so way before now. My lawyer things my parents will probably try to say that Riley isn't capable of deciding where she lives."

Dr. Myers actually snorted. "Poppycock. She might be sitting there politely being quiet right now but she's more than capable of voicing her opinions. I think there would have to be something significantly wrong with a person to have their ability to have a say in their own life taken away from them. You shouldn't need my testimony for that; any judge worth his or her salt could figure that out just by talking to Riley. But let me know when the hearing will be and I'll be there just in case."

Con didn't continue and Dr. Myers realized there were more things on his mind than the officer was willing to voice out loud in Riley's presence. He wasn't sure if they would be things he could discuss with him but felt it would be better for Riley in the long run if Con was able to voice them. "Riley-"

Riley started to uncurl herself from the chair. "I know, this is when the grownups want to talk without little ears in the room. I'll wait in the waiting room."

Dr. Myers chuckled. "Mrs. Mitchell is supposedly on another one of her infamous diets but I bet she still has a hidden stash of fun sized candy bars in that desk of hers. Sweet talk her out of a couple while you wait."

Only after Riley had left the office and the door had closed behind her did Con speak. "Smart one isn't she?"

"Always has been. What other worries do you have, Officer Riley?"

Con took a steadying breath and plunged into the heart of his fears. "Am I the best person to take care of her? I know I'm probably better than my folks but I'm a bachelor and a cop. What do I know about raising a teenaged girl? I don't want to screw her up; she's been through too much as it is."

Dr. Myers wasn't surprised by the revelation. He turned to the same advice he'd once given Mickey Davis regarding his own fears about being a good parent. "There's no instruction manual on raising kids. I doubt people would really read it if there was one. You love your niece; I could tell that just from watching the two of you in the waiting room. I also don't think I'm be betraying her confidence if I said she seems happy and settled being with you. The fact that you worry about being a good guardian tells me that whether you are ready for the responsibility or not, you'll do what you have to in order to make sure she's healthy and happy. I don't think you have to worry about screwing her up."

He paused for a moment before letting a twinkle enter his eye. "And, hey, if I'm wrong; I know a good psychiatrist who can straighten her back out."

Con sighed and conceded. "So quit borrowing trouble, huh?"

The doctor nodded. "Doesn't do any good. Trouble has a way of finding people whether they want it or not. Trust your instincts; they'll lead you in the right direction."

Con nodded. "Right now, my instincts tell me to go catch Riley before she cleans out that candy stash. We have to face my parents in a couple of hours and I think it would be better to do so after a good lunch instead of a belly full of sugar."

Dr. Myers rose with a friendly smile on his face. "Take a handful of candy bars with you. After you finish with your parents, you both might need the pick-me-up."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

"Why do I feel like we lied to Mom?" Joe asked as Frank expertly merged the van onto the interstate heading toward Cloverton. "We are going to Cloverton to help Riley and Con get her stuff from her grandparents."

The older Hardy frowned. "Because a lie of omission is still a lie. The main reason we are meeting Con and Riley is to see what is on that encrypted file for which you got the password. Dad didn't seem any more receptive to us working on this case today than he was last night. And while Mom might not like or agree with his choice; she isn't going to allow us to be blatantly disobedient."

Joe nodded. He hadn't really needed his brother to spell it out for him but Frank saying it out loud did solidify the situation for them. Laura had point out asked them the night before not to work the case and they hadn't. Instead they had introduced Riley to the rest of the gang and had enjoyed the easy camaraderie that was so natural among their friends. It had been nice to see the last vestiges of stress melt away from Riley as she'd been readily accepted by the others.

This morning, Frank and Joe had been prepared to argue their side to their father. Apologize for their doubts and hasty accusations as well if that's what it took to win his consent to let them work the case. But all their preparation had been for naught as Fenton had woken early and secluded himself in his office with orders that he shouldn't be disturbed.

Laura had once again asked about their plans which had led them to only admit to half their reason for the intended trip to Cloverton. She hadn't protested their proposed trip saying she was sure both Con and Riley would appreciate the friendly back-up. She also hadn't questioned them further, either trusting they wouldn't continue to disobey their father or knowing in the way only mothers knew that they had something else planned and didn't want to be caught in the middle.

"You know I think Biff likes Riley." Joe commented off-handedly after about ten minutes more into the drive.

Frank glanced over at his brother before returning his eyes to the road. "Of course he does. I think everyone does."

Joe smirked, shaking his blonde head as he did so. "No, you know what I mean. Did you see his expression when Phil and Riley started talking about computers and Phil asked if she could install that software on his system? Biff looked ready to tear him limb to limb."

Frank chuckled. "Oh, you mean like as in like-like. Sometimes, Little Brother, you can be such a girl. What if he does? He's been a little gun shy around girls since Kathy went out with him just to make her ex-boyfriend jealous enough to want to drop the ex part of the title. At least we know Riley wouldn't hurt him like Kathy did."

Joe considered that. "No, but Con might hurt him in a different way if Biff tries to take Riley on a date. Don't forget the man carries a gun for a living."

"Maybe he'd be upset if it was you showing up trying to date Riley but Con has no reason to distrust Biff. Besides, at the risk of sounding like a girl myself, I think Riley likes Biff as well. Or did you notice how quickly she sat next to him at Mr. Pizza last night? Even if Con doesn't like the idea, he's going to be in favor of something that makes her happy."

The two brothers fell quiet after that, enjoying the music on the radio for the next thirty minutes. Then Joe spoke up once more.

"I don't get Dad in all of this, Frank. What does he know and why doesn't he want us to look into things?"

Frank sighed deeply. He'd been wondering when Joe was going to voice the question that had been weighing on both their minds. The eighteen-year old had lain awake for several hours the night before mulling over possible situations that would explain their father's behavior.

"I don't know; I have a few theories but none of them seems plausible. Maybe Mickey did kill Gina."

Joe shook his head. "Then why not just say so? And why would someone take the knife that would prove it? Besides Riley and Con both agreed that Mickey didn't have any wounds on him."

Frank turned on his blinker as he prepared to leave the interstate for the smaller roads that would take them the rest of the way to Cloverton. "Like I said, my ideas don't seem plausible. To show you how farfetched they got, I even wondered at one point if maybe he'd figured out that Riley somehow killed her own mother and blocked the memory. I could see Mickey taking the rap for her but I just can't see Riley snapping like that."

Joe watched his brother carefully. Over the years he'd gotten to know his brother's body language pretty well. Though he hadn't said so out loud, one of Frank's theories had considered hadn't been that far-fetched. He also had a feeling he knew what it was. "You think it could have been Con's father? That Dad didn't want to hurt Con? I gotta tell you; I don't have much trouble seeing the arrogant jerk letting his son-in-law suffer like that."

"But why kill his own daughter? Could he have been trying to kill Mickey - rescue his daughter from the mistake he believed she had made - and Gina got in the way? I don't know; I'm probably way off base here. The truth is I really can't think of any good reason for the way Dad's acting in this and until he decides to open up to us."

That effectively ended the conversation for the rest of the drive. Frank pulled into the driveway at the address Riley had given them the night before. A couple of minutes later, Con's car pulled in behind them. Neither uncle nor niece looked very happy as they got out of the car leading Frank and Joe to believe the visit to the Rileys hadn't gone well.

"Boys, I need to run a quick errand." Con announced after giving Riley's arm a squeeze. "The two of you will stick around with Riley until I get back, right?"

"Sure, Con." Frank assured him. The brothers waited until Con had backed out of the driveway once again before turning to Riley for an explanation. The younger girl rooted through her bag for her house keys. She walked miserably to the door.

"Riley, what happened? Did your grandparents give the two of you a hard time?" Joe probed gently.

"It was painfully polite at first." Riley remembered Con's earlier statement about his parents politing them to death and realized it was such an apt description. "There was an agent there from Child Protective Service to make sure they didn't try anything. Then when we were ready to go, Gramps had to comment on my running away several times so the CPS agent could hear. Uncle Con's worried it might cause trouble for me down the road."

Joe frowned. "I don't get it. I thought Con figured they quit reporting you missing to the police to prevent CPS from finding out."

She shrugged, stepping into her childhood living room. "I think the way Gramps sees it is if they can't have me neither should Uncle Con. I'm not supposed to worry about it; Uncle Con thinks he can set things straight. Not worry; that's easier said than done. Come on, Dad's computers are downstairs."

Both Frank and Joe could tell she was still worried but neither could figure out how to alleviate her fears. So instead, they followed her downstairs to the basement which had been converted into a spacious office/computer workshop. Riley went straight to the computer and booted it up.

After a few minutes, she looked at Joe. "Got the password?"

Joe removed the folded slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Riley. She carefully typed in the string of letters, numbers and symbols which seemed to make no sense. Before hitting the enter button, she doubled checked what she'd typed for accuracy. Sure she'd typed it in correctly, she pressed the enter key and waited for the file to pull up. Instead, the entire screen started to flash different colors and then fade to black. Frowning her good hand flew over the keyboard trying to get the file or anything to pull up but the entire computer remained blank.

Frank shook his head. "Did the file get erased?"

Riley shook her head. "Worse; it looks like the entire hard drive was wiped clean. Everything is gone."


	16. Chapter 16

Family Loyalties

Chapter 16

Joe looked from his brother to Riley seeing almost the same horrified expression mirrored in both expressions. He was probably just as smart as his brother was but in different areas; computers just wasn't in his expertise. He understood without question that something had gone horribly wrong with their plan to access Mickey Davis' computer files. He just didn't understand exactly what had happened or how. "You said before that if the wrong password was put in, the program would erase the file. I don't get it; I watched you put in the password your father wrote down. It was the right password. What happened?"

Riley didn't answer at first; instead her brows furrowed closer together and her uninjured hand flew across the keyboard. Although once again it looked to both brothers that she was impossibly fast with one hand, she obviously wasn't working fast enough to suit herself. Instead, she reached up and unfastened the strap on the sling that was immobilizing her left arm so she could use it as well. After try after try to recover the file, any file, from the computer failed, Riley picked up a small metal pencil holder from next to the computer and flung it across the room in frustration.

"It was the right password alright. Just not the password to the file we were trying to access. Dad gave you the terminal password."

Now Frank was just as lost as his brother. "Terminal?"

She nodded glumly. "Terminal as in dead. It's a program Dad created but never marketed. Kind of like a self destruct switch. It wipes out the entire hard drive, erasing every file, program, everything."

Frank frowned. "Why would someone need a program like that?"

Riley wouldn't let her eyes leave the computer as if she could figure out a way to bring back what had been lost. Her tone was obviously distracted when she did answer him. "His original plan was to market it to the government, maybe FBI or CIA. That way agents working undercover could wipe out any incriminating information in the event of capture. Maybe he even sold the program to them; I don't know. He never talked much about his government contracts; felt it was safer for Mom and I that way. He didn't want to advertise it because he was worried about it being used by people wanting to avoid prosecution."

Not sure that Frank and Joe were following her completely, she explained further. "Imagine if someone was using their computer for illegal operations, like embezzlement or child pornography. Usually the police arrest on suspicion of illegal activity and get a warrant to search the computer; that's when the evidence and proof is discovered. With this program, a suspect could wipe out all evidence at the first sign of being indicted. Dad didn't want any of his work to be involved in criminal activity. He used to say he'd rather give up computers completely before he went to bed with the criminal element."

She smiled wanly at the memory the comment evoked. "I was too young when he would say that to understood what it meant. I couldn't figure out why Daddy would want to be in bed with anyone other than Mommy."

She looked away from the computer to look at Joe, hurt obvious in her expression. "Why Joe? Why would he give you that password? I know you explained to him what we were trying to do. Why wouldn't he want us to find information that could exonerate him?"

Joe glanced down at his feet remembering the way he'd been able to get the password from Mickey. _"Okay, that's okay. It just would have been easier. You know, you taught Riley well. She's pretty good at all that hacking stuff and she's only gotten better at it since you've been in here. She's pretty sure she can get around your encryption program thingy but she'd rather have gone in the proper way." _He sighed.

"I might have led Mickey to believe we could get to the file even without his help." Seeing the accusatory look Riley flashed him, he continued quickly. "Don't; he wasn't going to give me the password. He didn't want us to get to that file: I don't know why. Didn't want us investigating at all. Only once he thought we could get to it without him did he agree to give me the password. I guess he didn't want to take any chances."

Frank gave Riley's right shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "It also makes me wonder what else was on that computer he didn't want us to see."

Joe shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"If the encrypted file was the only thing he was worried about just give us a bogus password that would have wiped out that file only. Why wipe the entire system unless there was more you didn't want found?"

"I guess we'll never know." Riley commented, her tone slightly bitter. She wasn't sure what upset her the most; the fact that yet another avenue of proving her father's innocence had been eradicated or the fact that her father had orchestrated the sabotage himself. Didn't he want to be free? She vaguely realized that he'd wanted to talk to Joe alone because he didn't want to have to lie to her directly.

Frank looked at the computer carefully. He trusted Riley when she said her father was good at what he did but maybe all wasn't lost. "Phil is always warning us to be very careful with everything we do on the computer. He says once it's on the hard drive it never really goes away even once deleted. How about we take the CPU to him; if anyone can retrieve information from the system, it's Phil."

Riley chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I guess we don't have anything to lose."

"Joe, help me unhook all the wires and we'll get the system up to the car." Despite Riley's earlier assurances that her father's system wasn't much more elaborate than Frank's; the CPU was much bigger and heavier than any other system Frank had ever seen outside of a corporation. The two brothers had it disconnected in just a few minutes but neither were looking forward to carrying it up the basement stairs and through the house to get it to the van.

As if she could sense their thoughts, Riley offered. "Want to use the office door instead of carrying up to the main floor and through the house?"

Joe's eyes narrowed. "There's a door to the outside down here?"

Riley nodded. "City ordinance requires a separate exit for in-home businesses. Dad put it in but I don't know that he ever used it except for the odd occasional heavy delivery. But it'll be quicker and not as many stairs for the two of you."

"You told us before there was no sign of forced entry the night your mother died. Did the police check that door?"

She shrugged. "I don't know; I doubt we even thought about it. Just looking at the house, you wouldn't notice it."

Leaving the computer where it was sitting, the brothers asked Riley to show them the door. Not sure why they were so excited about it, Riley led them up the ten steps to the outside entrance. Before she could reach for the lock, Joe stopped her.

"It's unlocked. Is that usual?"

Riley shook her head. "No, Dad was pretty fanatical about making sure the house was locked up at night. Since we never used this door, it was always locked. Why would it be unlocked now?" Her eyes looked a little panic-stricken. "I've been in and out of this house since Dad was arrested; I always made sure to lock up carefully when I left but I never thought to look at this door. Anyone could have gotten in here during that time."

Frank put a comforting arm around her shoulders and led her back down the stairs. "Relax, you would have noticed if something seemed out of place so I doubt it was an ordinary break-in. Joe and I have a fingerprinting kit in the van; we'll see if we can get anything."

Not wanting to get Riley's hopes up once more in case it proved fruitless, Frank didn't say anything out loud. However, a glance at his brother told him that Joe was thinking the same thing. They may have just discovered how an outside person managed to get inside to kill Gina Davis.

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

"Fine, I'll do it. I'll let you know if I find anything." Fenton Hardy hung up the receiver and resisted the urge to pick up the entire phone and throw it across the room. Instead he buried his head in his hands and cursed the day he'd allowed himself to get caught up in the Riley family drama.

There was a knock on his office door and fearing it was once again his sons wanting answers he couldn't give, he almost growled for them to go away. But something held him back and he muttered a unconvincing "Come in."

Laura opened the door, precariously balancing a plate and glass as she did so. "You've been in here all morning; I thought you might like a little lunch."

He smiled and motioned her in. He knew she was disappointed in him and more than a little unsure of his actions; but she hadn't pressed him any further for answers he couldn't or wouldn't give. She set the plate in front of him, a thick ham and turkey sandwich just the way he liked them. As soon as she released her grip on the tall glass of lemonade, he reached out and captured her hand, giving it a warm squeeze.

"Thanks. Have you and the boys eaten?"

She nodded her head. "I have. The boys left a couple of hours ago. Fenton, are you okay? You looked ready to bang your head against your desk when I came in."

He sighed. It would probably start another argument but he could see no reason to lie to her about the phone call. "Conrad Riley called. He wants me to have Con under surveillance and find proof that he's not fit to be Riley's guardian."

Laura came around the desk, not breaking the hand hold Fenton had on her and wrapped her other arm around his chest. She kissed him. "How did he take your rejection?"

Fenton sighed once again. Of course Laura would assume he'd turned the pompous man down. What kind of person would agree to spy on a friend? Softly, he admitted, "I took the case."

Laura's whole body stiffened and she was about to pull away from him but Fenton swirled his chair so he was facing her. He pulled her into his lap, preventing her from withdrawing. "Laura, hear me out. I wanted to turn him down; I even tried. He's determined though to find dirt on Con; if I didn't agree to take the case, he would find someone else that would."

"So let him. You don't need the money that badly." Laura's tone was crisp and he could almost feel the icy anger that his declaration had caused her.

"It has nothing to do with the money, Laura. I know you have questions about my actions lately and I can't answer them all. But I do have a good explanation for this one. You know I hate working divorce cases because it means spying on people and taking what could be compromising photographs. It means capturing a private moment that could be completely innocent so a crafty lawyer can spin it to make it look damaging. No matter how innocent a person is, a good enough detective watching long enough can find something that can be construed as incriminating. No body can withstand the kind of scrutiny that a good surveillance entails."

"Don't you think Con is capable of taking care of Riley?" There was a note in Laura's voice that told him he hadn't completely convinced her.

"I do. But, Hon, don't you imagine there's probably been at least a few times that we've done something as parents that could be taken the wrong way? Cause I can think of more than a few and we've been parents for eighteen years. Con's only had a couple of days of being a guardian. Plus, he's unmarried and taking care of a teenaged girl. Someone could have a field day with that."

"Con's your friend, Fenton." Laura warned but her tone was softening. "Can you really spy on your friend?"

Fenton nodded. "I can if it means helping him in the end. Face it Laura, someone is going to be watching his every move. Who would you rather it be; a stranger who's only interested in a money shot or me, a friend who's not going to jump to conclusions over an innocent moment?"

Laura leaned her head on his shoulder, conceding the argument. "You; but this still has the potential of hurting someone. What will happen if you don't produce the evidence the Rileys are looking for?"

Fenton shrugged. "I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

He swirled the chair back to face the desk, keeping Laura in his lap. He picked up the sandwich she'd prepared him and took a large bite from it. Once he'd chewed and swallowed, he regarded her carefully. "You said Frank and Joe left; they have plans with Vanessa and Callie?"

Laura shook her head, bracing herself for the explosion she was sure would be forthcoming. "They drove to Cloverton. Con had to take Riley there for an appointment and was going to go by his parents afterward to get Riley's things. The boys wanted to provide support." Just as she figured, she could feel the tension rising immediately in Fenton's shoulders but she poked her finger in his chest. "Don't Fenton. They are only providing support, not investigating. Riley needs friends and I'm not going to tell Frank and Joe that they can't be there for her. It goes completely against the way we've always raised them and it's not fair to Riley."

Fenton growled under his breath but bit back the worst of his retorts. Instead he leveled his gaze on her. "Do you really believe they went there just for support? This is Frank and Joe we are talking about. Do you really think they could be that close to the scene of the crime and not investigate?"

Laura shrugged. Honestly, she'd figured from the moment they had told her their plans, there was probably more involved but she hadn't questioned them about it. She hadn't wanted to be in the middle. "You want me to trust that you have good reasons for the things you are doing; I'm choosing to have that same trust in the boys. Why are you so scared for them to get involved in this? Either they are going to prove that Mickey didn't kill his wife and an innocent man is going to go free or they are going to find proof positive that he's guilty. Either way, Riley will know the truth."

She rose from his lap but watched him carefully. She wished he would trust her enough to confide what he knew; she was convinced beyond a doubt that he knew much more than he wanted to let on to knowing. Instead he just shook his head.

"You make it sound so simple; I only wish it were that cut and dried. You know as well as I do, things aren't always that black and white. There are shades of gray in the middle and the truth usually lies somewhere in that murky middle."

Folding her arms across her chest, Laura regarded him carefully. "Fenton, what do you know about what happened to Gina?"

"Mickey Davis confessed to her murder. He gave up his daughter and his freedom with that confession. He did it to save Riley from the pain of a trial and full investigation, an investigation that would have hurt Riley worse than her mother's death did. I can't honestly say I don't think he did the right thing."


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Notes: I know, you've probably given up on getting a new chapter for this story. I'm sorry for the delay. I've had about half of this chapter written since before New Year's but it's taken me longer than it should to finish the chapter. I hope you are still interested.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Family Loyalties

Chapter 17

When Con Riley stepped into his sister's house almost two hours after dropping Riley off, he had expected to see the three teenagers sitting on the couch waiting for his return. Instead the house seemed as abandoned as it had been for almost two years. Deciding they must be in the basement office Mickey used, he made his way down the stairs.

In all the time he'd ever spent in this house, he'd only visited Mickey in his office a couple of times. His brother-in-law was almost a completely different person when he worked on his computers. There was no hint of any of the psychological problems that seemed to plague him everywhere else. He was focused, driven and in his element when manipulating programs on a computer to do his will. It was a side Con wished his parents had been able to see of the man they had disapproved of so much.

Now it felt almost weird descending the steps into Mickey's sanctuary, knowing Mickey wouldn't be sitting in his chair, his brow furrowed as he worked out some sort of puzzle only he seemed to understand. No, not that only he understood because Con had seen that same determined look a few times on Riley's face. She'd definitely inherited her father's skill with computers much the way she seemed to have inherited her mother's ability to pair ingredients together to create a recipe.

Entering the office, he saw Riley standing almost in the middle of the room staring off toward a small hallway he'd never noticed in the office. Her body was almost vibrating with excitement. Frank and Joe were nowhere in sight. "Riles? What's going on?"

His booming voice in the silent of the room caused the teenaged girl to jump and he immediately felt bad about scaring her. Before he could apologize however, her face lit up and she ran to hug him. "Uncle Con, Frank and Joe may have discovered a way of proving Dad is innocent."

Surprised, Con looked around once more looking for either of the brothers. He trusted that they wouldn't have left Riley there alone. Just then Frank emerged from the little hallway that his niece had been staring at. Frank smiled when he saw Con.

"Someone forced their way into the office door. The tool markings were hard to see; I'd almost say whoever did it was a professional but we found a fingerprint. Joe's getting the print now."

"You can run the print, can't you Uncle Con? See who it belongs to? Then we'll know who really killed Mom and then we can get Dad released from jail." It was obvious Riley had already decided that this new discovery was going to solve everything. He hated to burst her bubble.

"Slow down, Darling. We gotta take this one step at a time. There's no way of knowing exactly when someone tried to break in here. It could have happened after the murder or even before it for that matter."

Riley's expression fell immediately. "But it could explain how someone got in here, couldn't it? The main reason they suspected Dad was that they said there was no signed of forced entry. This is forced entry. You were here while the police were checking the house; do you know if they even checked this door for evidence?"

Con sighed, rubbing Riley's back comfortingly. He knew she wanted, no more like needed, to believe they could find some shred of evidence that was missed in the initial investigation that could prove Mickey's innocence. He wanted that as well but he couldn't forget his training either.

"I don't think they did; hell, I didn't even know there was a door there. I guess I should have since he had a business down here. To be honest though, Riles, I might have been here during the investigation but I wasn't a part of it. They wouldn't have let me if I had tried but I was a little too upset and way too worried about you to even put up a fight about it. They may have but I don't know."

Riley brightened slightly. "So it could be proof."

Con exchanged a look with Frank that bordered on accusatory. He knew the brothers were good investigators and had probably jumped on the possible evidence with their usual enthusiasm without really thinking about what it would do to Riley. As detectives, they would look at every possible piece of evidence with the hope that it would be probative but with the knowledge it could be a dead end. They probably hadn't even considered that Riley would see this as an absolute certainty. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, Riles, it could be. But don't start planning a homecoming party for your dad just yet. Even if this was how the real killer got in - and that's a real if - there's no guarantee that it will free your father. Forced entry on that door alone won't convince a judge to overturn the conviction without irrefutable proof as to when it happened."

"But the fingerprint Frank and Joe found -" Riley continued and looked to Frank for help convincing her uncle.

Frank frowned. He had seen the look Con had shot him and realized immediately that in their excitement over the possible clue, he and Joe had gotten Riley's hopes up. He felt bad about that but at the same time, he knew Con hadn't seen what they had seen. "The fingerprint looks like it has good ridge detail. Should be easy to compare if there's a match in the system."

Con nodded; that was the rub and he knew Frank knew that. "IF there's a match in the system. That means if the person who left that print has ever been arrested to have prints in the system or has ever had a government job that required prints to be taken. Otherwise the print won't mean anything until we find someone we can compare it to."

Riley pulled away from Con, the expression in her eyes dark and hurt. "You just don't want to help Dad. You want him to stay in jail." She turned to Frank. "Can I ride back to Bayport with you and Joe?"

Frank didn't know how to respond. He wanted to say yes but didn't want to make things worse for Con's and Riley's re-emerging relationship. He felt responsible for this current problem. He was on the verge of excusing himself to go back to help Joe finish taking the print without answering her request when Con nodded toward him signaling his permission. Frank sighed. "Of course you can."

"I'll wait in the van then." Without another word, Riley brushed past Con to go upstairs.

Con sat down in one of the computer chairs and ran his hands through his hair. Frank pulled another chair close and sat down beside him. "I'm sorry. I don't think either of us stopped to think; we just got wrapped up in finding possible- "

"It's okay, Frank. I probably should have handled that better myself. Of course she's going to get excited about possibly clearing Mickey. I didn't have to shoot down her hopes so completely right off the bat. What she needs more than anything right now is someone encouraging her not telling her she's wrong."

Frank hated seeing Con look so dejected and wanted to help if he could. "Want me to go up and talk to her? Get her to ride back with you so the two of you can talk things out?"

Con shook his head. "No. It's probably better to give her some thinking time; let her work through it on her own. At least she's willing to go back to Bayport and not running for the hills. I'll count that as a mini victory." He sat there quietly for just a moment and then noticed that the computer had been disconnected. "What were the three of you doing down here? How did you even discover the marks on the door in the first place?"

Frank filled him in on their failed attempt to access Mickey's files and how they had planned on taking the computer to Phil when Riley suggested they use that door instead. Con wasn't so sure he liked the idea of them accessing Mickey's business files but didn't say so. Sure, he'd known they were up to something with the computer but hadn't known the full extent. Instead he leveled his gaze on Frank. "You two have uncovered more in just a few days than anyone else has in almost two years. I may not always like that the two of you get involved in mysteries and interfere with police business but I can't deny that you're good at what you do. Tool markings, huh? I have to admit the one thing about this that gave me the most doubts was the fact there was no sign of forced entry. Damn, how did we miss that door?"

"Got the print. Really good ridge detail; Con shouldn't have any problems getting a match if there is one." Joe announced as he emerged from the entryway. "Oh, hey, Con. Frank and Riley tell you what we discovered?"

With almost a growl, Con nodded. Joe was about to question what was going on but Frank shook his head to stop him. The elder brother knew Con felt bad enough without having to rehash things. He looked at Joe. "How about we load up the computer and head home? Everyone's had a long day."

Joe nodded, still not sure exactly what had happened to make the normally affable man so grumpy. Riley was nowhere to be seen so Joe reasoned something had transpired between uncle and niece in his absence. Con almost grudgingly took the envelope that held the fingerprint that started the whole problem as the two brothers started carrying the hard drive up the stairs to the all-but-hidden door. Con followed behind.

The first thing Frank noticed when he opened the van was that it was empty. He frowned, Riley had said she was going to wait in the van but she wasn't there. He glanced back to where Con was standing with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Riley isn't in here. Think she decided to wait in the house for us instead?"

Con kicked the front tire of the van in frustration. Perhaps she'd run for the hills after all. "I'll go look."

As he walked back to the house, both brothers could hear him mumbling under his breath.

Joe looked over at Frank. "I'm thinking I missed something major. What's going on?"

Frank explained briefly about the mini argument Con and Riley had over the fingerprint and that Riley was supposed to ride back to Bayport with them. Joe shook his head.

"If she's riding back with us, then why is she sitting in Con's car right now?"

Annoyed that he hadn't noticed it himself, Frank glanced over to the other vehicle. Sure enough, Riley's petite form was in the passenger seat. The seat had been kicked back slightly so she was reclining in the seat which was probably why he missed it the first time. Her eyes looked closed and he could imagine that it had been a draining day for her.

Con came out of the house almost at a run, looking panicked. Both brothers could easily imagine the horrors that had gone through the older man's mind at not being able to find his niece. Frank caught his eye and pointed toward the officer's car. The relief on Con's face was immediate and palpable. Con changed course and went to the passenger side of his car and opened the door. He knelt there so that he was closer to eye level with Riley. Or would be if she would turn her head and open her eyes to look at him.

"Riles?"

She still didn't open her eyes but he could see her swallowing hard as if trying to speak past a lump that had formed in her throat. Finally she worked past the obstacle but didn't look at him. "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

Con was glad that she wasn't looking at him because he was pretty sure she would misinterpret the smile on his face. In that moment, she reminded him so much of Gina that it was almost painful. Gina had never liked admitting that she might have made a mistake. He took pity on her.

"You might have overreacted, Darling but I probably under-reacted. I know you are excited and you've made it your mission to prove your father is innocent. Frank and Joe uncover what's probably the best thing you've found in two years and you wanted me to be excited with you. I should have taken a moment to do that instead of instantly shooting down your hopes."

Riley turned her head and finally opened her eyes. "You weren't trying to hurt me; you were just trying to keep me grounded. In my mind I already had Dad with his bags packed and out of the prison. I've probably watched too many crime shows and read too many mysteries where everything falls into place easily. I still think the fingerprint belongs to whoever killed Mom but I get that proving who it belongs to might be difficult."

"I'll agree that the chances of it belonging to the real killer are probably good. I trust Frank and Joe's methods of collecting fingerprints but we gotta do this the right way if we want a chance of getting a judge to release Mickey. I'm going to call the sheriff. I trust him better than I do anyone at the Cloverton PD. I'll get him to send a deputy out to collect an official print. Don't worry; I'm still going to run the print Joe got when I get to work tomorrow but anything I do would be inadmissible in court. Sound like a plan?"

Riley nodded with a slight smile. "Thanks, Uncle Con. So we're good?"

He nodded and gave her chin a slight tweak. "We're better than good. I should probably be here when the deputy gets here. You've had a long day; why not ride back to Bayport with Frank and Joe? I don't know how long I'll be tied up here."

Riley chewed on her lower lip. She was worn out. Between the appointment with Dr. Myers which was draining but probably the easiest part of the day to dropping by her grandparents' house which had to be the worst to the euphoria of finding a potential clue and then the subsequent squabble with Con, all she really wanted to do was lower the seat all the way and take a good long nap during the ride home. Sure, she could go inside and stretch out on the sofa while she waited for Con to finish up or even go up to her old bedroom, but she was sure that kind of sleep would be fraught with nightmares. She wasn't sure she could handle that on top of everything else. But still she worried that if she agreed to go back with Frank and Joe then Con would think she was harboring ill feelings toward him. She was just deciding to stay with him when a male voice interrupted them.

"Hey Riley, is that you?" Con didn't miss the pained look that crossed his niece's face as the young man walking past the house turned up the driveway to greet her. His whole demeanor exuded rich arrogance and Con was almost sure this was one of the country club kids his parents had tried to force down her throat. He wanted to be fair, the teenage blonde jogging past in a designer athletic suit seemed nice and friendly enough but if he'd caused even a second of misery for the girl sitting beside him, then Con couldn't like him.

"Brad." Riley's greeting betrayed no emotion whatsoever but she did step out of the car to greet the boy who was probably a couple of years older than she was. "Kind of far from you own neighborhood aren't you?"

"Training for a marathon. I'm up to 25 miles at a time. I probably shouldn't even be stopping to talk but it surprised me to see you. Tell me your grandparents are finally ready to sell this place. My mom's been after them to let her list it since the incident. They've turned her down every time she's asked about them selling it, saying they thought it would be better to let the scandal of what happened die down a little before they sell. I kinda see their point; who wants to buy a house where someone was viciously murdered? But letting a house stand uninhabited can be just as bad for future resell potential. Don't worry, I bet Mom can have the house sold within a month even if she has to disclose the information about the previous owners."

Any misgivings about not liking the boy died in Con's mind as soon as Brad opened his mouth. Con was about to put the boy in his place but quickly found he didn't have to. Riley drew herself up to her full height. "A month, huh? That's amazing considering she's been trying to sell the house next door to you for at least a year now. But then again, I guess convincing someone to put up with you as a neighbor could be a stickier selling point than a tragic death. Your mom is not selling this house."

Frank and Joe came around the side of the van in time to hear her remarks. They'd been trying to give Con and Riley some privacy but had heard the newcomer's approach. Joe smirked, impressed with the way she was handling the situation. Brad, however, didn't seem to realize he'd been insulted as he continued.

"Your grandparents are listing with another realtor? But Mom is the go-to real estate agent at the club. Who are they using? I'm sure Mom can guarantee them a better price."

"I'm sure if Gram and Gramps could sell this house, your mom would be the first person they called." Riley conceded because it was the truth. She was sure if they could they would have already sold the place just to be rid of any reminder of her mother's life with her father. Then she continued before Brad could get his hopes up. "However, they aren't selling and can't sell. But don't worry about the house being uninhabited much longer. Pretty soon, my dad's going to be released and we'll be right back living here."

Brad looked like he was just about to make a snide remark about her father's chances of being freed from jail. However, he took another look at the three men who had formed a protective half circle around Riley and thought better of it. "Just thought I'd check. I better get back to training. See you at the club soon."

As soon as he started running again, Con muttered under his breath. "That's right punk, am-scray." His arms circled Riley's body protectively and he worried as she leaned heavily against him. "Proud of you, Darling. If he's one of those snots my parents tried to push on you as friends, I can see why you wanted to avoid them. Now, before Mr. Marathon over there interrupted us I was giving you a choice of riding back with Frank and Joe or staying with me while I wait for the deputy."

She had been ready to say she'd stay with him but the encounter with Brad was the final straw on her already wearied soul. "Would you mind if I ride back with them? It's not that I don't want to keep you company; I just think I've had more than enough of Cloverton for one day."

He kissed the side of her head and looked back at Frank and Joe. "You boys mind?"

"Not at all." Joe answered without hesitation and Frank also nodded his assent to the request. Riley felt warmed by the kindness she'd found in Bayport and its residents. She gave the house she grew up in one more glance. From the day she'd been forced to move in with her grandparents, she'd dreamed of the day she'd move back into this house, either when she turned 18 or her father was released. Now she was wondering if it even had the same allure to her that it once did, even if her father was found innocent. Even with a roof over her head, she'd felt homeless and adrift since her mother died. But now…

She gave Con a hug and stepped toward Frank and Joe. "Let's go home then."


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: A new chapter that didn't take a lifetime to write. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: still not mine.

Family Loyalties

Chapter 18

"Okay, thanks for taking care of it for me." Fenton hung up the phone and swiveled in his chair to stare out the window. For a moment he wished he could turn back the hands of time and have a redo on the last couple of days. Turn it back so that Riley hadn't come to the house looking for answers he couldn't give. Turn it back so that he wouldn't have had to see his wife and sons look at him with distrust, wondering if he had compromised evidence and allowed an innocent man to go to jail. Turn it back so he wouldn't have to think about the fact that only one of those two was true.

He pushed himself out of the chair and walked over to the office safe where he kept really sensitive and important papers in there instead of the locked file cabinets in the corner. He twirled the combination to open the safe. He removed the small stack of documents neatly piled inside and set them on a table under the safe before reaching to the back.

Laura and the boys all knew the combination of the safe though none of them would go into the safe without a good reason. What they didn't know, what Fenton never planned to tell them, was that there was another locked compartment hidden away in the back of the safe. A compartment that only he could access. A compartment that currently held only one file. He opened that compartment and retrieved its sole occupant.

It was the file on Gina Davis's murder. The file that held the answers Riley Davis was looking for. The file he should have destroyed two years ago but his sense of morality had prevented him from doing so. He flipped though it. Copious detailed notes on the crime scene itself, notes the Cloverton officers investigating the murder had never thought about taking. His notes on the fact that the deveining knife Gina had been clutching at the time of death had been replaced in the evidence box with a more innocuous looking knife from the same set. A copy of the fingerprint he'd lifted from the office door - the door the killer had used to enter the house.

He stared at the fingerprint for a long moment. For the first time since the murder, he questioned his decision not to wipe away the evidence from the door against further investigation. At the time it had been a no brainer for him to leave it there. He was a trained professional and a former cop; he wasn't in the habit of destroying evidence not even dangerous evidence that could get someone killed.

Finally his eyes rested on the picture of the real killer. If he'd come forward two years ago with the information he'd collected, Mickey wouldn't have spent a single day in jail. He'd begged Mickey to let him share the information, to let him clear him. Mickey had not only refused but had insisted that Fenton destroy the evidence. Jail - and a life without his beloved daughter - was a better alternative than the hell the information would cause.

Fenton couldn't destroy the file anymore than he could destroy any of the evidence he'd found. Instead, he'd buried the file where no one could find it and consoled his sense of right and wrong with the belief that he'd done what was best for everyone involved. Most days he was able to do so but every time that phone rang and it had been Conrad or Rebecca Riley calling to say that Riley had disappeared, his fears of the truth coming out and the danger it could cause resurfaced ten-fold.

With a sigh, he returned the file to its locked hidden chamber and then replaced the contents of the regular safe before shutting the door completely. He'd just returned to his seat at his desk to brood some more when the office door opened and Laura stuck her head in.

"Are you going to hide in here all day?"

"I'm not hiding." Fenton protested but without much effort. "I'm working. Are the boys back yet?"

Laura shook her head. "No, not yet. Probably won't be much longer. You want to see them when they get home? You promised them you'd talk to them about the case and instead you've avoided them since you came home."

Once again, Fenton swiveled the chair so that he was looking out the window. He knew Laura was right but hearing it didn't make it any easier. How could he explain to the boys what he couldn't really explain to himself? If they knew the truth, their desire to help Con's niece would only increase. They wouldn't understand why he'd done what he'd done; not because they weren't smart enough but because for them the truth should always win out.

Laura shook her head. "I don't understand, Fenton. I've never seen this side of you. Why won't you let us in?"

Fenton didn't turn around to face her. "You trust me, don't you, Laura?"

"With everything in me." Her answer came without hesitation.

He nodded. "Can't that be enough for now? Please."

"Okay."

With his back to her, he missed the hurt look on her face as she turned and left the office, closing the door behind her. With the door between her and her husband, Laura leaned against it. She did trust Fenton but she also knew him. He was warring against himself with all of this as well. Perhaps what he needed was a little prodding from outside the family. With a nod of determination, she went for the phone.

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

"You think she's comfortable back there?" Joe asked as he glanced back into the back of the van where Riley has lightly dozing in her seat.

She hadn't said much as the three teenagers had left Cloverton. She'd fallen asleep about twenty minutes into the drive back to Bayport. She was curled almost in a ball, the only thing holding her in place was her seat belt.

Frank looked in the mirror and smiled. The position didn't look comfortable at all, especially with her bruised ribs, but it didn't look like it was bothering her. "Must be. You know, I still can't believe that Brad character was so insensitive back there. Didn't he even think about how he might be hurting her with his talk about selling the house and what happened there?"

"I can't believe I was the one who had to talk you out of swerving close to him with the van when we drove past him on the way out of town. That little display of temper and vengefulness is usually my thing."

"I wasn't going to hit him, just scare him a little. I'm surprised you tried to stop me. That guy was a world class creep."

Joe chuckled softly. "Glad to know you've got it in you, Big Brother."

"Brad can't help being a jerk." Riley shifted a little in her seat, sitting up and blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Of all the country club set, his family is probably the richest. Anything he wants or needs his daddy buys it for him, including friends. I'm surprised to see him training for a marathon. I would have thought Daddy would have paid someone to do the running for him. What he said about the house didn't bother me too much; he's only parroting what he's heard his parents and my grandparents talk about for the last two years."

Frank's cell phone rang and he recognized the ring tone as the one he assigned to the home phone number. "That's Mom. Joe, would you…?" He trailed off knowing Joe would know what he was asking.

Obligingly, Joe reached over and unclipped the phone from Frank's holster and flipped it open. "Frank Hardy's phone, his more adorable younger brother speaking."

"_Joe, why are you answering your brother's phone?"_

"Because Frank is driving and he knew if he answered you would magically know he was talking on his phone while driving and that you'd have his hide when we got home. Everything okay there?"

"_Everything's fine. So the two of you are on your way home?"_

Joe caught the almost undetectable note of disappointment in his mother's voice. "Yeah, but we can change that if you don't want us there. What's going on?"

The sound of Laura's warm laughter drifted into his ear and he realized nothing was wrong. "_I was just hoping to catch you before you parted company with Con and Riley. I wanted to invite them over for supper tonight. I thought we could grill burgers and eat on the patio; it's a nice day out."_

Joe covered the phone and looked back at Riley. "Mom wanted to invite you and Con to supper. Burgers?"

"My favorite. Sounds good to me. Let me call Uncle Con and ask him." She reached for her own cell phone and Joe filled his mom in. A couple minutes later Riley had an answer. "Sounds great to him. He doesn't know how long he's going to be tied up there with the Sheriff but he said we shouldn't wait on him. He said to tell your mom that she's sweet to make the offer."

Joe relayed the information to his mother and promised they were probably only another hour out from being home. Then he ended the call. Instead of returning the phone to Frank's holster, he set it in the empty cup holder. He looked back at Riley again, his eyebrow raised in question. "Okay, so what else did Con say? Somehow I think it was something more than Mom was sweet to invite the two of you to dinner."

Riley smiled, marveling at how easy spending time with her uncle and the Hardys had become compared to living with her grandparents the past two years. "Actually, he's a little suspicious. He said he's gotten more invites to meals with your family in the last few days than he has in all the years he's known the family. I believe he thinks your mother doesn't trust him to feed me properly."

The two brothers exchanged a quiet look that didn't go unnoticed by Riley. She folded her arms across her chest. "He's right? Your mother doesn't trust him to take care of me? Seriously? Yeah, so maybe he's not the best cook in the world but he's doing okay."

"Easy Tiger." Frank urged. "Mom's not doubting Con's ability to take care of you. I think she had an ulterior motive in mind for tonight but it has nothing to do with how well or bad Con can cook."

Riley was mollified by Frank's assurances but still curious. "Ulterior motive? What for?"

Again the two brothers exchanged a look. Neither had wanted to admit to either Riley or Con that Fenton was balking at their attempts to investigate. Riley, because they didn't want her to think they didn't care about her problem and Con because they were pretty sure he would insist they honor Fenton's wishes to stay out the investigation. Joe gave her a wink, not wanting to tell her the truth but not wanting to lie either.

"She knows you wanted to talk to Dad about his investigation and having you over for dinner will give you that opportunity."

Riley brightened up considerably. "I hadn't thought about that; that makes sense. I know I can't get my hopes up too much." She was making sure she learned her lesson from earlier. "I mean if your dad knew who really killed my mother he would have spoken up before now. He'd never let my father go to jail if he knew who the real killer was."

- FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

"Okay, that should get it. I'll take the print back to the station and run it through our database. No guarantees though." The deputy returned his equipment to his kit and stood.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Con didn't mention that he had a copy of the print as well and planned on running it through his own database search as soon as he got to work the next day. Everything had to be done by the book or else Mickey might never be released.

He followed the officer up the stairs and out to his vehicle. Once he was alone again, he returned to the house. He did a careful walk through of the house to make sure nothing else was amiss. He felt guilty that he might have let two years go by with the proof needed to free his brother-in-law just under his nose. There was no way he was going to leave that house without checking for anything else he might have missed.

The house was full of memories for him, most of them the best he'd ever had. He could only remember two times that he'd ever been under this roof under less than idea situations. One had been the time Mickey had tried to go off his meds and then two years ago on that fateful day his sister had died. The first time he'd been successful in helping out until Mickey got things under control. The second he hoped would eventually have a happy outcome as well. He owed it to Riley to do that. He couldn't disappoint her again.

He glanced at his watch. If he left now, he might just accidentally make it to the Hardys' before they sat down to eat. He smiled; that sounded good to him. He locked the house and went to his car. He pulled out of the driveway and made his way through the quiet neighborhood. He never noticed a second car that pulled out not long after he did and followed him at a discreet distance.

Instead, his mind was too busy thinking about Riley and how much had changed since she'd first arrived in Bayport just four days ago. He could still see the haunted look in her eyes and the derisive snort she'd given when he'd asked her when she'd left home. Her answer still cut him to the core _Home? 21 months, two weeks, three days ago. The day the Cloverton Police detective in charge of Mom's murder investigation coerced a false confession from Dad and they locked him up. _

He had no doubt that was exactly how she'd felt living with his parents. He felt guilty for every single second she'd spent in the house he'd grown up in, feeling like a stranger among family. He would spend every moment he could making it up to her. Despite their pseudo argument earlier, he believed he was doing an okay job of that. Her words just before leaving with Frank and Joe seemed to confirm it. _Let's go home then._

He smiled at the memory. So she considered his apartment and Bayport home. He was glad she felt comfortable with that term now. Oh, he wasn't deluding himself; he knew what she wanted more than anything was for Mickey to be released from jail and for the two of them to once more be a family. He wanted it for them but he had to admit, at least to himself, that he was going to miss her when that happened.

Suddenly the car behind him, the same car that had been behind him for the longest time, caught his attention. It was a dark sedan and he couldn't really see the driver but the fact that the vehicle was riding his bumper was getting on his nerves. He hated tailgaters with a passion. Didn't the idiot know driving like that could cause wrecks?

He glanced down at his speedometer. He was going the speed limit but he sped up just a little to try to get the guy off his tail. Instead the other vehicle matched his speed, staying right on his bumper. Con cursed, glad that Riley wasn't there to hear him use such language. Next he lowered his speed, hoping the idiot driver would become irritated and go around him. It was a four lane interstate - no reason for the driver to stay behind him. But it still didn't shake the other vehicle off his tail.

With a growl, Con turned on his blinker and slowed completely down. He'd pull off onto the shoulder and wait for the driver to pass him completely. As soon as his right wheels crossed the white line on the shoulder and his speed was down to around fifteen miles per hour, the other car sped up. Con felt better until the vehicle ploughed right into the back bumper of his car.

There wasn't much he could do as he felt his car slipping further and further off the side. It was a steep shoulder and Con instantly regretted where he'd decided to pull off. He didn't have long to regret it though as his vehicle suddenly started rolling down the embankment, landing upside down at the bottom.

The unknown driver of the car that had forced Con off the road didn't even stop to survey the damage it caused as it drove off.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: still not mine

Family Loyalties

Chapter 19

For the third time that day, Laura knocked on Fenton's office door. She knew this case must be bothering him because he never hid out in his office for an entire day the way he had today. It scared her more than a little because Fenton wasn't the type to take this coward's way of dealing with a problem. He was more of the "take the bull by the horns and deal with the consequences as they came" type. For a moment, she had second thoughts about her plan to have Riley and Con over for supper but it was too late. Riley was already on the patio with Frank and Joe as they finished up with the grill.

"Fenton, supper is ready. The boys grilled burgers."

"I'm in the middle of something, right now. You think you could fix my plate and bring it in here?"

Laura's worry changed to anger. "No, you can take a break and come out and eat with the rest of us. You've been cooped up in this office all day; you need a break."

"I'm really busy right now…"

"Bull. Even when you are really busy you're never too busy to take time with your family. You might be working in here but what you're really doing is your worst impersonation of an ostrich sticking its head in the sand. I have to tell you, it's not working with me. If you don't want to talk to Frank and Joe about the Davis murder that's fine. You don't have to say a word to them about it. But you are coming to dinner with the rest of us."

Fenton recognized the no-nonsense tone in his wife's voice and knew there was no way of getting around her request, not unless he wanted to add marital problems to his growing list of concerns. Which he didn't. So instead, he rose from his desk. His back would have protested him sitting there all day long but the truth was he'd done a fair share of pacing during the day so it wasn't that bad.

As he left the office with Laura, he put his arms around her. He was well aware that he hadn't treated her or his sons with the respect that he usually did. He only hoped they would forgive him eventually even if he couldn't explain his actions. He placed a kiss behind her ear and tucked her body in close to his as they walked. "So the boys did the grilling? If they did a great job, I might have to turn the honors over to them more often."

"They didn't burn the house down so I think it was a success. Fenton…"

"Laura, thank you for making me come out of my office. You're right, it was wrong of me to hide out in there all day. Maybe a nice family dinner without any talk about the Davis murder is just what we need to remind the boys that I'm not the bad guy despite what they are currently thinking."

"Fenton," Laura continued, "we're going to have company for dinner."

Fenton smiled. "Callie and Vanessa? I didn't think we considered them company anymore. More like an extension of the family." Then he paid attention to the look Laura was giving him and stopped. "It's not Callie and Vanessa is it?"

She shook her head and frowned at the look of dismay Fenton was giving her. "Don't look at me that way, Fenton. She's a good kid who's been through more than any teenaged girl should have to go through. Con wants to do right by her but I know he feels like he's in over his head. If inviting the two of them to a meal or two helps both of them find a better footing with each other, then what's the harm?"

Shaking her head, she continued. "Do you know that after I called Frank to ask him to invite them over, Riley insisted that he stop at a store so she could pick up ingredients to make a dessert for us? She told me after they got here that her mother had always told her it was bad form to not bring something when invited to a meal somewhere. After her grandparents showed up after brunch the other morning, she was worried that something else bad might happen if she came empty-handed again. She deserves better than she's gotten the last two years."

Fenton sighed. One of the things he loved most about his beautiful wife was her compassion. Of course she'd want to help Riley; who wouldn't? He could remember walking into the house the day Con had called him to ask for his help in his sister's death. The small girl had been devastated at the loss of her parents. He could remember kneeling beside her at one point to ask her a few questions. She'd looked at him with those doe eyes that had begged him more effectively than any words, to find out who had killed her mother. "I have a feeling this dinner tonight is about more than just you wanting to help ease tensions between Con and Riley. You and the boys think I'm hiding the truth about what happened and that all Riley will have to do is turn those brown eyes in my direction and I'll cave and spill everything I know."

"I know you are not telling the boys and me everything you know Fenton. I'm sure you think you have a good reason and I want to trust you with it. She's looking for the truth even if it's not what she wants to hear. If seeing how earnest and desperate she is doesn't convince you to tell everything you know, then I'll stop pursuing the matter and I'll figure out a way to stop the boys as well." Laura folded her arms across her chest, a sure sign that she was serious about what she was going to say next. "But, and this is a very big but, Fenton, if you hurt her unnecessarily. If you treat her feelings the same way you have me and your sons, I swear to you that you'd better hope that couch in your office is comfortable. Because that will be where you'll be sleeping for the foreseeable future."

Fenton sighed, hearing the threat loud and clear. In all the years he'd been together with Laura, he could count on one hand the number of times they had had arguments severe enough that he'd been forced to seek out alternate sleeping arrangements. But as infrequently as it happened, it was always serious when it did. He'd have to step very carefully through this minefield he suddenly found himself in. Tenderly he wrapped his arms around his wife's thin shoulders and pulled her close. "Laura, I promise you the last thing I want to do is hurt Riley. Everything I have done and plan to do in this whole mess is to protect everyone involved."

Laura melted into his embrace, trusting his words in the same way she'd always trusted him. Rising on her tiptoes, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Go on out to the patio; the kids are already out there. I'll get the pitcher of tea from the kitchen and meet you out there."

Fenton nodded obediently and made his way to the back door. His mind was whirling trying to figure out how to keep the truth from coming out while not upsetting Riley which would in turn upset his wife. Perhaps if he were to get Con to one side, he could talk to the younger man former cop to current cop. Without giving anything away, perhaps he could make Con see that it was better for both Riley and Mickey if the status quo remained the same.

He stood at the patio door without opening it. Instead he watched the three teenagers who were currently occupying the deck. Frank was standing at the grill transferring the last of the cooked burgers to a tray. Joe and Riley were seated at the patio table. His younger son was tossing ice cubes at Frank's back and the teenaged girl sitting next to him was practically hugging her midsection as she silently laughed at the antics.

He sighed deeply. He'd had many opportunities in the past two years to observe the girl without her being aware of his presence. Every time he'd had to track her down when she ran away from her grandparents, he'd taken the opportunity to watch her from a distance while waiting for Conrad and Rebecca to arrive to pick her up from whatever location she'd chosen to hide. Each time it struck him that even though she didn't seem completely miserable, she never seemed truly happy either.

As well as he knew he couldn't reveal what he knew about the murder, he couldn't deny the transformation that had seemed to come over her in the few days she'd spent with Con and his sons. Somehow he'd have to figure out a way of keeping what he knew secret without jeopardizing her new found happiness. He owed her that much even if he couldn't afford to tell her the truth. Fenton slid open the door and stepped out onto the patio.

The three teenagers stopped what they were doing to turn to look at Fenton. He could immediately feel an almost frosty animosity radiating off both his sons and he knew he would have to eventually do damage control if he wanted to restore his relationship with them. What surprised him the most was the change that came over Riley. The easy carefree young woman he'd just observed disappeared and in her place was a shy, almost reticent girl. He offered her a smile, hoping to put her at ease and possibly appease his sons' ire just a little.

"Good to see you again, Riley." He looked around, surprised not to see Con in the mix. "I thought Con was joining us as well."

Riley relaxed slightly but it was clear she was still not completely at ease in his presence. "H…he'll be here later. He had to stay at the house until the sheriff's deputy finished his report."

Fenton wondered if she was even aware of her slight stutter. Though she looked like a perfect blend of both her parents, in that moment she reminded him more of her father. "Sheriff? Did your grandparents cause trouble today?"

She shook her head. "Frank and Joe discovered that someone had broken into my house at some point. It could help prove that my dad was innocent." Even after her talk with Con it was clear she was still putting a lot of faith in the fingerprint that had been discovered. "Since the Cloverton PD was so quick to accuse my dad, Uncle Con thought it would be better to call in someone from the Sheriff's department to collect an official copy of the fingerprint."

Fenton carefully schooled his features so there was no outward sign of his reaction to hearing the news that the break-in had been discovered. Inwardly, however, his stomach twisted violently at the thought of the possible repercussions Riley's news could cause. He was saved from commenting however when Laura joined them on the patio holding the pitcher of tea she'd gone to retrieve.

She set the pitcher on the patio table and flashed a bright smile at their young guest. "I couldn't help but take a peek at your dessert. I'm almost tempted to forego eating the main meal and skipping straight to it. Pure chocolate decadence it looked like. Not to mention I couldn't help but notice there are more bite-sized candy wrappers in my garbage right now than are usually there two days before Halloween when Joe finds the hidden trick-or-treat candy."

The teenager's face brightened and the hint of shyness that had washed over her at Fenton's appearance suddenly disappeared. "Mom's favorite dessert that she served at the restaurant. She actually named it Decadence. Uncle Con loves chocolate so besides being an easy dessert to put together as a contribution for supper, I figured it would be a nice thank you to him for all he's doing for me."

Laura gave Riley a warm hug and glanced over the young girl's head with a knowing look at her husband. Fenton recognized that look; without saying a word, Laura was asking him if he could really put off such an innocent girl who just wanted a family again. He sighed knowing that whether he wanted to or not, he was going to have to do just that.

"I don't know about Con but I for one think chocolate is the most important food group. How about we dig into these burgers so we can get to the good stuff?" Joe suggested, sitting down at the table and reaching for a plate.

Laura shifted her eyes so that her glare was directed at her younger son. "Mind your manners, Joseph." Then she looked back down at Riley. "Are you sure we shouldn't wait for your uncle? We can wait for him to get here. There's no rush to have supper."

"He said not to wait for him but I guess it would be the polite thing to do." The low rumble of Riley's own stomach had its own answer. She blushed slightly. "Uncle Con insisted that we eat something before we went to my grandparents today but I was too nervous to eat much. I didn't realize how hungry I'd gotten."

"Well, I don't think Con would want you to starve to death. I'm sure he'll be here directly." Fenton assured her as he made his own way to the table.

Seeing that it was a battle not worth fighting and one she was sure to lose, Laura didn't protest any more and led Riley to the table. The Hardy matriarch wondered how long it was going to take Riley to start asking Fenton the questions that had been burning in her soul since she arrived. As she dressed her burger, Laura couldn't help but hope that Fenton would heed her earlier warnings and gentle his responses once Riley started pressing him for answers.

But the questions seemed to be on hold. As everyone fixed their plates, conversation consisted of easy-going banter especially among the three teens. Laura couldn't help but wonder if Gina had impressed her daughter with the importance of keeping meal time conversations away from heavy matters at the same time she was teaching her that it was important not to come to dinner empty handed.

Once half her burger had been consumed, Riley's focus shifted slightly from just eating to alternately glancing toward the patio door to checking the time on her watch to making sure she hadn't missed a call on her cell phone. The Hardy men didn't have to use any of their detective skills to realize she was getting antsy about how long it was taking Con to arrive. Frank, who was sitting on one side of her, reached over and gave her uninjured arm a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sure he'll be here any minute now."

Again, Riley blushed, embarrassed that her concern had been so blatant. "Yeah, I'm sure you're right. I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. I mean, how long could it take a deputy to take a print? It didn't take the two of you that long."

Fenton carefully controlled the glare that he wanted to shoot his sons at the idea that they had been investigating the case after he had expressly forbidden them. He would have given them both a hard time about it but he knew he'd only incur his wife's wrath if he wasn't careful about what he said in front of Riley. "Why not give him a call? Check to see how much longer he's going to be. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Riley chewed on her bottom lip for just a moment before reaching for her phone and dialing Con's number. After several rings, she was directed to Con's voice mail. She sighed. "Hey Uncle Con. I was just checking to see how much longer you're going to be. Call me back."

She terminated the call and tried not to show how worried she really was. She gave a one-sided shrug. "I guess he's driving. I mean, he wouldn't answer his cell phone while driving, right?"

Joe nodded, even though he knew for a fact that Con had a hands-free device in his car. "Sure, I mean I wouldn't let Frank answer his phone earlier when Mom called. I'm sure it's the same thing."

He leaned back in his seat so that he could look behind Riley to where Frank was sitting. The look the two brothers exchanged spoke volumes. Neither could figure out a reason why Con wouldn't answer his phone if he saw Riley was calling but they were sure it couldn't be good.

Laura wasn't as subtle with the look she gave Fenton and the veteran detective knew exactly what she was telling him. He reached for his own phone and searched through his contacts until he found the number for the correct sheriff's department. He waited until the dispatcher answered the phone.

"My name is Fenton Hardy. Could you tell me if you still have a deputy on scene on Stanton Avenue in Cloverton?" Fortunately his name was well-known by most police and sheriff's offices and he didn't have to raise a fuss to get the information he was asking for. He waited as the person on the other end clicked the keys on a keyboard. The answer he received wasn't good. "Thanks." He ended the call and looked at his family and their guest. "The deputy left there almost three hours ago. No reason why Con shouldn't be here by now."

Riley's worry increased. "My grandparents. They weren't happy when we were at the house earlier. I bet they've done something to delay him. It's not fair; Uncle Con has been so good to me; he doesn't deserve the grief Gram and Gramps are giving him because of me."

This time Fenton didn't need any visual nudges from Laura. He stood up and walked around the table to squat down beside Riley. Frank moved his chair to make room for his father. Fenton took both of Riley's hands in his own. "You shouldn't worry about Con, Riley. He's very good at taking care of himself. I'm sure everything is fine but if it'll make you feel better, I'll drive to Cloverton and see if I meet up with him en-route."

Riley nodded. "Can I go with you?"

Fenton wasn't sure it was the best idea but her innocent doe eyes worked their magic on him. Saying no to her request wasn't an option. "Of course you can."

FH JH - FH JH - FH JH -

The ride was almost uncomfortably silent. Riley was too worried about her uncle to hold much of a conversation and Fenton was too worried about where any conversation might go in order to say much. So the two rode in silence.

About the time that Fenton had to turn on his headlights against the dusky twilight, he realized that traffic was slowing down in an unusual way. The only time he'd ever seen this kind of delay on the interstate was for some sort of roadblock or for a wreck. He said a silent prayer that it would be the first. Another quarter mile, and the mixture of flashing red and blue lights convinced him it was the latter.

"Somebody's had a wreck." Riley broke the silence verbalizing what they both knew was true.

Fenton nodded. "Don't borrow trouble. It might not have been Con. Maybe he witnessed the accident and stopped to help. That sounds like something he would do."

Riley couldn't argue with the logic but the knot in her stomach twisted in fear. As they approached what had to be the crash site, Fenton slowed down and pulled to the side of the road. He cautioned Riley to remain in the car as he got out to check things over. As he crossed the road to where the emergency personnel were working, he recognized what was left of Con's car being hooked to the back of a tow truck.

"Sir, we need you to get back in your vehicle and keep driving. There's nothing here to see." A highway patrolman tried to stop him but Fenton shook his head.

"Please, I know the driver. Where is he? Was he hurt?" It was a stupid question. How could anyone walk away from such a bad wreck uninjured?

"NO!" Riley's cry of anguish pierced the other noises of the night. Fenton turned around to face the teenaged girl knowing it had been asking too much of her to wait in the car. Even though he didn't have any of the answers she currently needed, he reached out to take her in his arms until someone who had them could supply the answers.

But she avoided his grasp and started to slide down the embankment toward the car. Fenton tried to follow her, knowing that there was nothing down there that would be good for her to see. The patrolman who had asked him to return to his car grabbed his arm to stop him. Usually Fenton was respectful of all law enforcement personnel but this time he shrugged out of the man's grasp, knowing Riley needed him more than he needed to follow the edicts of the highway patrol.

He started down the embankment after her, his heart breaking with each gut wrenching cry of Con's name that burst from Riley's mouth. Before he could reach her, another patrolman and one of the firefighters overseeing the cleanup intercepted her. The firefighter tried to gently grab her around the waist to prevent her forward motion but she fought against him. One fist and one braced hand managed to find its mark against the turn out padded chest of the person blocking her way.

"Miss, you can't be down here. It's not safe." He tried to reason with her but she was too distraught to listen to reason.

"Let go of me. I have to get to him. UNCLE CON? Please, is he okay?"

She was small compared to the two men blocking her path but her frantic worry pushed her closer and closer to the wrecked vehicle. Fenton finally caught up with her and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Riley, calm down. We'll find out how Con is but you can't go any closer. It's okay, Sweetheart."

"Please tell me he's okay. I can't lose him too. He's got to be okay. Please." Riley practically begged as she dissolved into tears. She stopped her forward motion but craned her head trying to get a better look.

Fenton held her tightly and looked to the firefighter standing there. "The driver of the car, how is he?"

The emergency worker was about to answer as the tow truck shifted the car's position giving Riley a better view inside. The airbag had deployed in the crash and suddenly Riley could see something crimson staining the white deflated material. Blood. Dark spots formed before her eyes and she swayed unsteadily.

"I'm sorry…" the firefighter began but Riley heard no more as a sudden rushing sound filled her ears and darkness closed over her.


	20. Chapter 20

Family Loyalties

Chapter 20

Fortunately, Fenton had a good hold on Riley, so as she sank into unconsciousness he was able to keep her from falling. He lowered her gently to the ground, cradling her head in his lap as he did so. The firefighter they'd been talking to reacted instantly.

"Guys, get the med bag over here." He knelt beside them and quickly checked her pulse and other vitals. "I take it she's not a fan of blood. My girlfriend is the same way. She'll pass out at the first sign of it. I think she'll be okay. We've got ammonia capsules in the bag; that should bring her around pretty quickly."

Fenton thought back to the apology the firefighter had been just about to offer when Riley had passed out. If something terrible had happened to Con - and he was saying a quick prayer that it hadn't - he wanted the news before Riley regained consciousness. That way he could break it to her gently. Or at least as gently as one could break that kind of news to someone who'd already lost so much. "Con, the driver of the car, how is he?"

A second firefighter brought an orange cloth bag over and immediately started pulling out a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. The first man shook his head. "I'm sorry, that's what I was starting to tell you. By the time our truck arrived on scene, the driver had already been moved from the car and transported. I never saw him so I don't have any idea how badly he was injured. If it's any consolation, the fact that he was moved says he survived the crash."

He didn't elaborate but Fenton gratefully nodded. He knew what the firefighter was delicately not saying. If Con had died in the crash, the responding units would have had to wait for the coroner to arrive before moving him. It didn't mean that his friend's condition wasn't serious but he at least had that bit of good news to hold on to until he received further word.

"Her pulse is a little fast but she's okay. How about we move her up away from the scene, so she doesn't have to see the crash site as soon as she wakes up? Besides the wrecker is here and we need to get the vehicle towed," the second firefighter reported. At Fenton's nod, the young man carefully gathered Riley's light frame into his arms. Fenton led the way up the embankment toward his car.

Once the teenaged girl was settled in the back seat of Fenton's spacious sedan, the firefighter who carried her to the vehicle snapped open a white container and waved it under her nose a couple of times. Immediately her nose wrinkled up and her eyes fluttered then opened.

Not wanting to alarm the girl, Fenton made sure he was in her line of sight so that she wouldn't be upset by unfamiliar faces. Her lower lip quivered slightly. "He's dead isn't he?"

Her question broke Fenton's heart. How much could one person be expected to endure without breaking completely? He reached into the vehicle to take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "He survived the crash, Riley. I don't know where he was transported to or what his condition is, but hold on to that fact for now, okay?"

"The car was so smashed up. There was blood on the steering wheel…"

"Don't get yourself worked up." Fenton warned her. "To tell you the truth, I've seen much worse wrecks where the driver walked away without a scratch." He'd also seen crashes that didn't look nearly so serious but had ended in fatalities but he didn't want to add that knowledge. "If you're okay here for a few minutes, I'll see if I can find someone here who knows what hospital he was transported to."

"I'll stay with her," the firefighter assured him. "I'm going to keep an eye on that blood pressure and pulse for a few minutes anyway. Make sure we don't have a repeat episode of syncope."

Fenton thanked him and gave Riley's hand one more squeeze before moving away from the car. He didn't get more than three feet before a uniformed state trooper motioned him closer. The man was vaguely familiar and Fenton realized he'd met the officer a year earlier when he worked a case of a sniper who was taking potshots at troopers. A glance at his nameplate provided the name to go with the memory.

"Mr. Hardy, I understand the driver of the vehicle is a friend of yours?" Officer Johnson offered.

Fenton nodded. "Con Riley. He's an officer with the Bayport Police Department."

The trooper shook his head. "I hate MVCs in general but especially when it affects a fellow brother. I saw him when they pulled him from the vehicle. He was unconscious but the paramedics that were working on him seemed cautiously optimistic."

Fenton let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Any idea what happened here tonight? Con's a top-notch driver; I can't see him just losing control."

The trooper looked around to see if anyone was watching or listening. "I probably shouldn't say anything- our investigation is just starting. But you helped us all out last year with that sniper; if it hadn't been for you, my partner would have been killed and who knows how many others. Consider this a personal professional courtesy. The back fender of your friend's car is dented pretty severely."

The whole car looked severely dented thought Fenton but he didn't say that out loud. It was obvious the trooper was trying to tell him something important about the wreck. His stomach turned. "Am I correct in assuming you don't think it happened in the crash?"

"It happened in the crash all right but I'm thinking it was a crash that caused him to go over the side. I can't say for sure until we interview Officer Riley but I suspect he'll only confirm what I believe happened," the trooper continued. "I think someone hit him from behind and forced him off the road. I suppose it could have been just a case of road rage but it doesn't feel like that to me. Do you know of anyone who might have a grudge against him?"

Fenton could think of a couple but none that he was willing to voice to anyone. All he could think of was that damn fingerprint that his sons had discovered in the Davis house. He didn't believe in coincidence on a good day; when it came to Gina Davis's murder, he believed even less. "Like I said, he's a cop; could be anyone. I have his niece with me and she's beside herself with worry. Do you have any idea where he was transported?"

The trooper nodded. "St. Theresa's. You know where it is?"

Again, Fenton's stomach turned and the burgers he'd heartily eaten earlier now sat like dead weight in his gut. He should have known it would be St. Theresa's. It was the main hospital to serve the area and was the same hospital where Mickey spent several days after the murder. "Yeah, I know it." He started to turn back to the car but then looked back at the trooper who'd gone out of his way to share what information he had despite protocols. "Thanks."

"Always glad to help one of our own. I'll be at the hospital as soon as I can to get a statement."

Fenton nodded and returned to his vehicle. The firefighter who'd been sitting with Riley in his absence smiled at him. "Her color's better and her pulse is back closer to normal. I think she's okay now."

Riley looked over at him, her expression tentative. "Did you find out anything?"

Fenton related the little he knew about Con's condition. He didn't tell her about the possibility that her uncle had been forced off the road; no sense upsetting her unduly if it weren't absolutely necessary. Riley moved from the back to the front passenger seat and quickly fastened her seatbelt. Knowing she didn't want to waste any time, Fenton climbed into the driver's seat and started the car.

As he put the vehicle into drive, he reached in his pocket for his cell phone. He offered it to Riley. "Want to call the boys and Laura and tell them what's going on? I'm sure they'd want to come to the hospital to be with you while we wait."

Her shaking hands revealed how worried she was as she silently dialed the number and waited for someone in the Hardy home to answer. Surprisingly though her voice was steady as she told Frank, who must have answered the phone, what was going on. After ending the call, Riley offered him his phone back and turned her attention to the darkening landscape passing by the window. Fenton felt badly for her.

"Those thoughts in your head sound pretty heavy. Want to share some of them?" Fenton probed gently.

She shrugged. "I feel like this is all my fault. He was only in Cloverton today because of me. I came to Bayport to see you to get help finding out who really killed my mom. I never even planned on seeing Uncle Con let alone moving in with him. Seems like I've caused nothing but trouble since I got here."

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Fenton reached over and gave her hand that wasn't in the sling a squeeze. "You can't blame yourself, Riley. It wasn't your fault. As far as we know it was only an accident."

Riley sighed, still looking out the window. "I had a teacher once say there's no such thing as an accident. Accident implies that there was no way it could have been prevented but this could have. I think last night was better but I know I've been keeping him up at night with my night terrors; what if he fell asleep at the wheel because he was tired from staying up with me?"

"What if a UFO tried to land on his car while he was driving and THAT caused the accident?" She shot him a look that suggested she thought he wasn't seeing things in the same light she was and he chuckled despite the situation. "Riley, I'm not trying to make light of what you are going through but until we know exactly what happened there is absolutely no sense speculating."

Riley shrugged. "I still say I've caused him a lot of trouble."

"And a lot of happiness as well," Fenton reminded her. Seeing she wasn't convinced, he continued. "You've met Ezra Collig, right?"

She nodded. "He took my statement after that guy tried to kidnap me."

Laura had told him a little about the man who had caused Riley's injuries in Dulcer and then followed her to Bayport but that wasn't important at the moment. "He's been the chief at Bayport for more years than he'd probably care to count. About a year after he started as chief, his wife bought him a humidor." Seeing her blank look, he amended. "That's a special kind of box that protects cigars. He showed it to me once. I thought it was a weird gift because the closest thing I've ever known Ezra to smoke is a turkey at Thanksgiving."

A twinge of a smile crossed Riley's lips at the attempt at a joke and Fenton shot her a small wink before going on with his story. "I asked him why he had it and he showed me its contents. I don't know how many blue and pink wrapped cigars were inside. You've probably seen the type - blue wrappers that say 'It's a boy!' and pink ones that say 'It's a girl!' Attached to each one was a label with a name and date. Every time one of his men becomes a father and starts handing out cigars, Ezra takes one, labels it with the child's name and birth date and puts it in the humidor to commemorate the event."

Riley shook her head, not understanding how Fenton's story had anything to do with her uncle. Fenton pulled into the closest parking space he could find near the Emergency Room at St. Theresa's. Cutting off the engine, he turned to face Riley. "There's a cigar in his humidor with your name and birthday on it. Con was so proud when he became an uncle that he handed out more cigars than most new daddies do. And despite everything that's happened in the last couple of years, he's still just as proud to be your uncle as he was the day you were born. Don't ever doubt that or think he'd blame you for anything that's happened in the last few days."

Feeling a little better, Riley followed Fenton across the parking lot into the waiting room for the ER. Fenton got her settled in one of the chairs and then went to the desk to inquire about Con. He knew Riley was anxious for news but wanted to get the report first in case that news was bad. The white uniformed woman behind the counter was busily typing information into the computer in front of her and answering the phone that seemed content to keep ringing. He was starting to get impatient when he heard a male voice call Riley's name.

He turned to see a man coming out of the triage area to sit next to Riley. She obviously knew him because she practically flung herself into his embrace. Fenton joined them in time to hear Riley tell the newcomer about the wreck. Now Fenton recognized him from Mickey's stay in this very same hospital two years earlier; he was Mickey's psychiatrist.

"The hospital found my card in your uncle's wallet when they were searching for contact information. They hoped I could help them identify who to call," he explained.

"Have you seen him?" Riley tentatively asked.

The doctor nodded. "I'll let them know at the desk to have the doctor come out and talk to you but I'll tell you what I know. Your uncle was unconscious when they brought him in; he apparently hit his head pretty hard in the crash. He's got a pretty nasty gash on his left temple but it doesn't appear that he has any broken bones or major injuries. They just took him down for a head CT to make sure he doesn't have any skull fractures."

Riley paled again and her eyes got wide. "Is he going to be okay?"

Dr. Myers nodded. "He's going to be fine. He'll probably be sporting bruises that will make yours look like nothing and he'll more than likely have to stay a day or so for observation for a concussion but there's nothing to indicate he won't make a full recovery."

It took a few minutes for the information that he was truly going to be okay to sink in but at long last Riley nodded. "Can I see him?"

"As soon as he gets back from the CT, I'll take you to his cubicle myself. Until then, how about I get you something to drink? You look like you could use a jolt of caffeine."

Riley agreed mutely and the psychiatrist excused himself to get the cold drink. Afterward he sat with both Riley and Fenton while they waited. Minutes dragged on and Riley began to pace back and forth. Despite Dr. Myers's reassurances that Con was going to be fine, the delay in getting to see that he was okay for herself was slowly rebuilding all her earlier fears.

Even the arrival of Laura, Frank, and Joe didn't ease her fears. Her pacing grew more and more frenetic and Joe thought maybe he would have to pull her into a chair and sit on her to get her to be still. Finally at long last, a nurse appeared and said they could see Con.

Riley paused outside his cubicle, desperate to see him but afraid all the same. Frank gave her good shoulder a squeeze to encourage her on. She stepped in slowly, not sure what to expect.

Con was lying in the bed, his eyes closed. Someone had taped a bandage over his left temple and although Riley knew it wasn't possible, the white gauze seemed to dwarf him. She stopped just inside the room, her breath catching in her throat.

Almost as if he could sense he was being watched, Con slowly opened his eyes and groaned against the sudden intrusion of light. His audible moan spurred Riley into motion and she suddenly launched herself at him, hugging him tightly. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her and whispered comforting words in her ear.

After a few minutes, she pulled back and swiped at her eyes. "Are you really okay? What happened?"

"Nothing a pound of painkiller won't cure, Riles. I promise." He didn't elaborate on the 'what happened' but Riley didn't seem to notice. He glanced over at the Hardys. "Sorry I didn't make it for supper. I'm starving."

Joe grinned; it didn't look like Con was worse for wear. "We should have brought yours with us. I know hospital food wouldn't come close to comparing to a Joe Hardy burger extraordinaire but I bet Frank and I could find something that could satisfy that hunger spot."

Con smiled. "You do that and I might just cut you some slack the next time you nose your way into some investigation you have no business being involved in."

Frank shook his head. "If he can make jokes, he must be okay. Come on Joe, I remember passing a burger joint just down the street. It might not compare to the - what did you call it, the Joe Hardy Burger Extraordinaire - but it'll probably be better than what the cafeteria serves."

The two brothers left and Riley studied Con carefully. "Are you sure you're okay? What did the doctor say?"

He shrugged. "I don't know for sure; I was pretty groggy when he was in here earlier."

Laura wrapped her arm around Riley's shoulders. "Why don't we go see if we can find him and get a report? I think that'll make you feel better."

Riley nodded and followed Laura out of the cubicle after hugging Con once more. Once he was alone with Fenton, the burly cop frowned. "I was run off the road Fenton. Some car was on my tail and I did everything to try to get rid of them but then the car hit my rear. There was nothing I could do."

Fenton didn't know if it made him feel better or worse to hear the trooper's theory confirmed. "Did you get a good look at the car or the driver?"

Con shrugged. "Maybe, I don't know. It all happened so fast and the whole accident is a bit blurry. Dammit, Fenton, I'm just grateful Riley rode back with Frank and Joe. If she were hurt because of me…"

"Funny, she was blaming herself for your injuries earlier. I guess it's like uncle like niece with the two of you. Don't borrow trouble. She's fine and she'll be even better once she's sure you're okay."

Con nodded. "I may not remember much of what the doctor told me earlier but I've had headaches like this one a few times and I'm pretty sure it's going to mean I have to at least stay tonight in the hospital. I hate to impose…"

"Riley will stay with us tonight. Don't worry about it." Fenton answered without letting him finish. Con offered a wan smile.

"Thanks. I need something else. Frank and Joe pulled a fingerprint off the door jamb at Riley's house. It's in my shirt pocket wherever they stashed my clothes. I want you to take it home with you and guard it until I get out."

A knife twisted in his gut at the thought of the fingerprint that should stay unknown but Fenton obligingly found the bag of clothes that Con was wearing when he was brought in. He checked the pocket and then frowned. "There's nothing in here."


End file.
